


Tabula Rasa

by phlintandsteel



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: A/B/O, Alpha!Bucky, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Bonding, Damn I love me some comic book science, Enjoy!, I mean its not really Steve Friendly per se, M/M, Mpreg, Post CW AU, Some domestic fluff, Some hurt/comfort, Steve understands that he's kind of a stubborn idiot in this, but I try not to paint him as an obsessive asshole, double memory wipe, infinity war what infinity war, liberally sprinkled with angst, mentions of off screen torture, omega!Tony, running from Hydra, with that being said
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-12
Updated: 2018-05-20
Packaged: 2019-05-05 16:16:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 27,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14622402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phlintandsteel/pseuds/phlintandsteel
Summary: It's good. This little banter thing. It keeps them steady and keeps the silence that follows from feeling too heavy.It's not familiar in any way, but nothing is. Because in reality he has no idea why he and James bonded, how they first met, when they fell in love... There's just a white wall of nothingness in his mind. That should bother him. In fact he's pretty sure it will later, down the line... But if you can't flirt with your own bonded alpha that you broke out of an evil cult's secret lair with, then what's the point of living? None, that's what.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Español available: [Tabula Rasa](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15145367) by [Naranjita](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Naranjita/pseuds/Naranjita)



> I got inspired to write this by reading the imaginetonyandbucky tumblr, which I'm sure you're all familiar with ;) 
> 
> The story is already finished and I'll be posting new chapters as I self-beta them (Is that a thing? I think that must be a thing...).
> 
> BTW there will be a Steve and Tony reconciliation, but this is NOT a Stuckony fic. Not that there's anything wrong with Stuckony, I just wasn't in the mood, lol.

He's screaming. His skull feels like it's being broken open with a jackhammer and his brain is being carved out with a rusty spoon. There's nothing else, no sensations or awareness or knowledge, just the pain and the vague wonder at the fact that he hasn't died yet.

  


Until the pain suddenly stops.

  


The aftermath is a bitch, don't get him wrong, but the cessation of the  _ active _ pain is almost like achieving nirvana in its disparity.

  


Sound begins to register first. He gets the feeling that opening his eyes will hurt, but the shouts and screams echoing around him beg for a greater understanding of his surroundings.

  


He blinks and bright lights assault his vision.

  


It's too much though, so he lets them fall closed again. A pitiful whine claws its way out of his throat on instinct. He  _ hurts _ and he can tell now that he's restrained, but he doesn't know why or who's doing this to him. He feels a spike of fear at the realization that he doesn't even know who _ he  _ is.

  


Then hands are ripping at his bindings, freeing him in too hasty a manner to be a captor. At least, he  _ thinks _ so... He tries opening his eyes again, but his sight is fuzzy, the lights prevent him from seeing the face of the man over him no matter how many times he blinks to try and clear his vision. But then...then he's pulled into a crushing embrace and the  _ scent _ hits his nose.

  


The bond opens wide, bathing him in alpha emotions.

  


Oh.

  


_ Oh _ .

  


His mate!

  


He has a mate and his mate has saved him!

  


He didn't expect to be  _ saved _ .

  


The bond between them must not have been broken by whatever was done to his head. He can feel the emotions coursing between them, worry and relief and confusion all rolled into a surprisingly soothing stream of  _ caring _ . He supposes they'll need to tamp down on that open flow in a moment, but it feels so,  _ so _ good right now. He lets an emotion-filled keen out from where his face is buried in the crook of his alpha's neck.

  


“Shh, shh, I've got you. We... We're not safe yet, I don't think... But I'm  _ here _ ,” the alpha says, “I'll kill anyone who tries to hurt you.”

  


He nods into his alpha's chest, taking the comfort offered. He feels like it should be strange to be comforted by someone saying they'll kill for you, but considering the situation...

  


As his alpha is helping him out of the torture device masquerading as a chair, he finally gets away from the harsh lights enough to see the man. He's objectively gorgeous; tall, with a strong jawline, slate gray eyes, and shoulder length brown hair that definitely gives him a bad boy vibe.

  


And he has a metal arm.

  


“I, uh, think my memory has been wiped or something?” he ventures, “I don't... I can't remember your name,” he admits a little timidly. An omega should remember their mated and bonded alpha's name, for Christ's sake...

  


The alpha blinks at him, a blank look on his face.

  


“I don't remember it either.”

  


“Oh.”

  


“I was in the chair before you... I only remember comin' out of it and then watching them put you in... I.. I swear I wouldn't have let them if I'd known. I just, I didn't know who you were until you started screaming and I felt our bond surge... I'm so sorry,” his alpha admits, emotion welling up in his eyes.

  


“Hey, it's ok,” he says, putting himself back into his alpha's arms and rubbing his cheek against him, “You didn't know. I didn't know who you were when you started breaking me out of that goddamn chair either. It's not your fault, babe,” he rambles soothingly. His alpha hugs him back, rubbing a gentle hand up and down his spine.

  


“I don't suppose you remember your own name either?” his alpha asks him.

  


“Nope, I've got nothing...Zero, zip, zilch, nada.”

  


“Well, I ain't just calling you 'omega'... So maybe pick one until we can figure out who we are?”

  


“What? You don't want me calling you ' _ alpha _ '?” he teases in a little breathy tone, easy as pie, unconcerned for the bodies littered around them. That should probably be concerning...how little he's concerned.

  


“Focus, babe,” his alpha grins, “There could be more of these assholes around.”

  


“Ok, ok. I need a name. And a gun. I feel like my having a gun would vastly improve this situation,” he says, glancing around at the bodies to see if they had any worthwhile hardware.

  


“Names first. What if we get separated and need to communicate?” his alpha insists.

  


“Fine, fine, that makes sense... Let's see... Hmm... I've got it! You can be 'Al' and I'll be 'Zach'. Get it?  _ A _ and  _ Z _ .” he beams, exaggerated against their circumstance.

  


His alpha,  _ Al _ , snorts.

  


“Fine,  _ Zach _ , do you think you even know how to use a gun?” he asks.

  


He steps away from Al's embrace, picking up an assault rifle from a dead man. “Only one way to find out, really,” he says, looking it over. He sneaks a peak out of the corner of his eye at his alpha's metal arm.

  


Al notices, shrugging as he brings the metal fingers up to open and close in a fist. Zach, as he's decided to start thinking of himself for now, can tell his alpha is just as mystified by the appendage as he is. It is pretty cool though, if you don't think too hard about how it must have been attached... Zach doesn't remember anything about himself, not his birthday or favorite food or whether or not he's a morning person...but he's pretty sure that metal limbs like that one are not a common thing...

  


It's not like Al would have any answers for him though, so he refrains from truly bringing the topic up. Instead he focuses on the gun, knowing almost instinctively where the safety is, how to check the ammo, clear the chamber, and set it to full auto. Huh.

  


Al blinks at him.

  


Zach offers a shrug of his own.

  
  
  


By the time they make it out of their captor's base, there isn't a soul left alive behind them. At one point, they catch a glimpse of a computer screen right before it's shot out, showing a picture of the alpha labeled as 'James' and then something that started with a “B”...but it's only a glance and the machine is useless by the time the shooting is done. Zach doesn't have the right tools, he just knows it, and they don't have  _ time _ , he can feel it, to be dinking around with this computer. So in a show of no-faith, they burn the entire building to the ground on their way out. Hopefully this “Hydra” cult thing didn't have backup servers...because there was no way that the ability to  _ wipe minds _ should be allowed to exist...

  


_ James _ breaks them into a civilian looking car, probably used undercover or by the bigwigs or something, and Zach immediately hot wires it and hops into the driver's seat.

  


The fire  _ really _ gets going as they drive away, and there's even a few explosions that go off, it's all very dramatic. Zach isn't really phased though? James looks just fine with having helped kill close to 70 men just now?...

  


“Do you ever look back,” Zach asks, glancing in the side mirror, “And think, 'who the fuck are we?...”

  


James does that short, snorting laugh thing again, which Zach finds ridiculously attractive, really, it's not fair how good the man looks while  _ snorting _ , and answers, “Doll, your guess is as good as mine.”

  


“Fair point,” Zach concedes, focusing on the road in front of them again.

  


There's silence for a few moments as they both let the realization that they escaped, that they're free now, sink in and take hold.

  


“You're totally getting me off with that metal arm when we stop for the night, just so you know,” Zach comments, watching for anyone tailing them, just in case.

  


“Yeah?” James asks, not quite incredulous, but more like testing the waters...

  


“ _ Yes, please _ ,” Zach insists, giving a little exaggerated shudder for his alpha's sake.

  


“You know, somehow I'm getting the feeling that you don't  _ ask nicely _ very often...” James grins back, subtly scanning the jungle around them. “I guess I better take advantage of it when I can then.”

  


“You're a smart man, James, obviously that's why I bonded with you.”

  


“Yeah, and I'm sure the metal arm had nothing to do with it...” James teases him back.

  


It's good. This little banter thing. It keeps them steady and keeps the silence that follows from feeling too heavy.

  


It's not  _ familiar _ in any way, but nothing is. Because in reality Zach has no idea why he and James bonded, how they first met, when they fell in love... There's just a white wall of nothingness in his mind. That should bother him. In fact he's pretty sure it will later, down the line... But if you can't flirt with your own bonded alpha that you broke out of an evil cult's secret lair with, then what's the point of living? None, that's what.

  


“I wonder if anyone's looking for us,” Zach muses, turning toward town at the fork in the road.

  


“I don't know...maybe... Depends on how long we've been gone, I guess,” James reasons.

  


“I wonder what year it is,” Zach adds.

  


“I wonder what country we're in,” James gestures at a road sign all in Spanish.

  


“You know what? I know the first thing we're going to do,” Zach says with sudden force, “Check the glove box for some money or something. Hopefully these Hydra assholes were paranoid enough to carry large amounts of cash with them at all times.”

  


James does, indeed, find an envelope with a wad of bills in it.

  


“Yes! Jackpot!” Zach pumps his fist, “I'm fucking starving, we're getting cheeseburgers.”


	2. Chapter 2

So, Venezuela is apparently in the middle of a violent revolution.

 

How much Hydra may have had to do with it, they have no idea. It's a horrible, tense, moment to moment type of existence, living in a place that's collapsing from within. Zach definitely has a new found appreciation for the people in war torn countries who are just trying to  _ live _ through the violence going on around them. And he knows most people, hell, very few people in the world are probably as good at violence as he and James are.

 

With so many people trying to run, hide, or otherwise escape, an alpha being a little over protective of his omega doesn't draw much attention. The long sleeves and gloves that James has to wear to cover the arm do though. It's difficult to even  _ find _ a long sleeved shirt in the height of summer...

 

They have a fairly concerning run in with the army's forces, where Zach gets shot and James goes  _ ballistic _ , punching his way through a  _ tank _ and generally scaring the ever-loving  _ shit _ out of some grunt soldiers. But that's also when Zach discovers his body does this weird orange glow-y thing that heals wounds in seconds.

 

After they evade what's left of the army and are curled up in each other's arms that night, James traces his fingertips over the lung where the bullet had entered, and where it had exited, (leaving a gaping crater in his omega's back) then up over the massive scarring on Zach's chest. They're both quite familiar with each other's scars now, sometimes making up the most ridiculous stories then can to explain them, in lieu of actually knowing.

 

The orange light within Zach didn't leave any scarring behind from this, though...

 

Zach leans forward and presses a kiss to the tangled web of scars that marr James' shoulder.

 

They fall asleep with the bond wide open between them.

  
  
  


Soon after that, they flee the country entirely, after over two months of living minute to minute on the edges of civilization. The anonymity of war doesn't outweigh the psychological drain anymore. They were there long enough to pretend to have been there longer, and no one is surprised by their lack of documentation, so that's a plus.

 

Zach gets the feeling that there are better ways to do this, like, maybe there are contacts and networks for moving between countries when you don't want to be seen... But he doesn't remember any of them, so...

 

“I think we must have been spies,” he says while he takes over the security feed at the refugee center where they're staying.

 

“Maybe you were a spy,” James drawls, “But this ain't exactly subtle, doll,” he waves his metal fingers at his omega, not taking his eyes off the feed.

 

Several children at the center have been complaining about a particular “aid worker” being too  _ touchy _ with them... That ends tonight.

 

“Ok, maybe we were spies, like, super successful, badass spies, but a mission went wrong, and you lost a limb, and I was massively injured, so we 'signed up' to play science experiment, but then got caught by the bad guys,” Zach suggests.

 

“I guess. That's probably just as plausible as your one about the aliens.”

 

“Excuse you,” Zach says as the alpha in question enters the camera's range. He switches between feeds to track the man's movement. “My alien abduction theory is a work of creative genius.”

  
  
  


When the worker's disappearance is logged with the local police, they eventually start going through his possessions for clues as to where he might be or what might have happened to him. When his collection of child pornography is discovered, the search for him takes on a different light.

 

But they still never find his body.

  
  
  


“You know what? Good riddance to Venezuela,” Zach says, in between puking his guts out on a ship to Panama. James rubs his back, right beside him during the whole sea-sick adventure. Then he snuggles his omega close once the heaving has passed, tucking Zach's nose into his neck. “I never even got my cheeseburger,” his mate grumbles.

 

“We'll try and get you one once you're feeling better, doll,” James assures him.

 

Zach has noticed that James doesn't make promises if he doesn't know for sure he'll be able to keep them. It might seem kind of pessimistic to some, but Zach loves it. He never worries about empty words from his mate, or that James is agreeing to things just to get him to shut up. His mate always pays attention to him, and if he says he'll try his best to get Zach a cheeseburger, then that's good enough for him.

  
  


Panama has a relatively large population of American Ex-Pats, but the two of them stick to speaking Spanish since they're pretending to have been from Venezuela. It's not like their Spanish isn't flawless anyway, for whatever reason. They visit a library and both discover they can speak Russian and Italian on top of English. Zach speaks Japanese and Hindi, apparently, but James doesn't know those. He makes up for it by being fluent in pretty much every European language and dialect though.

 

“Seriously, what the hell?” Zach grumbles, having gotten a little competitive, “Who aside from a professional  _ linguist _ speaks over 30 languages?”

 

“Spies?” James shrugs.

 

Zach sighs. “I'm going to let this one go. But only because it validates my theory,” he amends.

 

“Whatever you say,” James grins at him.

  
  
  


During their second week in Panama, it's announced to the world that Tony Stark is missing.

 

James and Zach have been debating staying put for a while, or staying on the move, with one of them being more paranoid than the other.

 

The Stark Industries press conference brings a large chunk of the world to a halt though, including the corner they're holed up in.

 

The broadcast shows a ticker tape at the bottom of the screen, so people can watch the stock crash in real time.

 

This irrationally upsets Zach for some reason.

 

Shit.

 

“Let's head home, babe. Now.” James guides him by the elbow away from the display of TV's.

 

Knowing how to act casually under pressure shouldn't come this easily to the average person, he's sure of that.

 

When they get back to the place serving as their home base for the time being, James fastens every lock on the door while Zach paces in the small open area.

 

“You're Tony Stark,” James says evenly, watching his omega's anxious movements.

 

Zach frowns. “Don't say that.”

 

James raises an eyebrow. “You look exactly like him, doll... We've been runnin' almost as long as they announced he's been missin', and we could have been Hydra's captives during the time before... It doesn't take a genius to put two and two together.”

 

Zach shakes his head, a dark look on his face.

 

“I don't like it. That doesn't... It doesn't feel right. Something's wrong,” he says helplessly.

 

“They took our memories... Nothing's going to necessarily feel  _ right _ ...” James says softly.

 

“But that's part of it, ok? You and me, that  _ does _ feel right. I can feel that.  _ Us _ . If I'm Tony Stark, and you're my mate, then why the hell didn't they mention you were missing too?” Zach rebounds, his frown getting deeper.

 

James doesn't have an immediate answer to that. He frowns himself.

 

“See? Something isn't adding up here,” Zach worries.

 

“We need to do some recon, then,” James nods.

 

“We're breaking into the library tonight. I need an internet connection.”

 

“No problem.”

  
  


Five minutes of “hacking” gets them into the library's terminal with ease. And that includes the startup time on this ancient dinosaur of a desktop. Fifteen minutes on the internet reveals that there's no known record of Tony Stark ever having a mate or being bonded. Next up, he combs the missing persons reports U.S. wide for any alphas named James “B”. There's quite a few of them, but none look anything like his.

 

It honestly leaves them with more questions than answers.

 

Because even if he and James had bonded in secret, he should still be missing from  _ somewhere _ , there should be  _ someone _ looking for him too...

 

“Maybe only I'm the spy,” James says, trying to be comforting when they finally get back home, “And that's why there's no one lookin' for me...”

 

Zach sits on the edge of the bed, worry etching his face.

 

“You really think I'm him, don't you?”

 

“I... I really do,” James says, approaching slowly, re-gauging his omega's mood in between each step. “Your face, your build, the scarring on your chest...hell, even your laugh lines look like they match up... I ain't a facial recognition program, but if I was putting money on a picture of you and a picture of him being the same man... Well, I'd take that bet...” James says, sitting next to him.

 

“Tony Stark's life... He's  _ Iron Man _ , he's...” Zach trails off.

 

“Yeah... That would explain a lot of your skills, actually...” James points out.

 

“I'm pretty sure I'm pregnant,”  _ Tony _ says, point blank.

 

“I- What?” James is drawn up short.

 

“I'm not showing yet. I have no idea when I should or shouldn't have had a heat or anything, but, when I got shot... When the orange glow-y lights were doing their thing, healing me up, it was like I could feel... _ something _ ...” he tapers off, holding a hand over his abdomen.

 

“Pregnant?” James whispers, hope and terror warring in his voice.

 

“I didn't know how to bring it up... Maybe I'm just crazy, but it was like I could feel another... Uh... Life force, or something... Like, the glow searched it to make sure it was ok too... I don't know...” Tony says, scrubbing a hand through his hair.

 

“If that's what you felt, then that's what you felt, sweetheart,” James says, gently pulling him into his arms.

 

“Are you scenting me?” Tony mumbles from against his chest.

 

“Maybe,” James admits.

 

They sit quietly for a few minutes while James surreptitiously rubs his scent all over him, making Tony chuckle and return the favor.

 

He still retains his somber attitude when they're done though.

 

“Tony Stark's life is too dangerous for a baby...”

 

James takes a moment to gather his words before speaking, because he can smell how on edge his mate is about this whole thing.

 

“Our lives ain't exactly been a cakewalk since we woke up either...” He reminds him, receiving a slow nod for his effort.

 

There's a few more beats of silence.

 

“Do you want me to keep calling you Zach?...” James asks.

 

“Ugh.  _ No _ . That was always meant to be temporary... But... I guess I'm just not ready to go waltzing up to the U. S. Embassy yet either...”

 

“Ok,” James says, rubbing his pregnant mate's back, “Ok, Tony. We'll take it as slow as you need to. Anybody'd need a few days to wrap their head around this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come yell with me about Infinity War on tumblr, I'm phlintandsteel there same as here.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter picks up right where the last one left off.
> 
> Smut ahead!

Tony hugs him more tightly for a second before loosening his grip enough to peer at James' face. “You're taking the whole 'pregnant' thing awfully well...”

 

James smiles at him. “Was it supposed to be bad news or something?”

 

“Well, no... But... We're on the run, we don't remember who we are, we don't have a cent to our names... I don't know anything about being pregnant and neither do you,” Tony motions between them, “This is literally the definition of 'flying blind'...”

 

“I'm pretty sure we could figure it out...” James says, nudging Tony with his nose. He sneaks a row of kisses along Tony's temple, trailing them down the side of his face, heading for his neck.

 

“Yeah? I guess we could... Omegas  _ have _ been having babies for millennia, after all, it's not like I'm the first... And, I mean, they're our lives, we can do what we want with them...” Tony hums as James makes his intentions known, pushing further into Tony's space, laying him over on the bed.

 

“They sure are. We can get a book or something...” James agrees, kissing along his omega's jaw.

 

Tony bares his neck, inviting his alpha to go further.

 

“We should probably leave Panama tomorrow, travel as far as we can while you're still able,” James says huskily, mouthing down the column of his throat and down to Tony's collarbone. With a shiver, Tony shifts underneath him, wrapping his legs around James' waist.

 

“North. We should head to Northern- oh, fuck, Northern Europe, please keep doing that,” Tony whines as James rolls his hips.

 

“Northern Europe it is,” James concedes readily, knowing how easy it will be for them to blend in and get lost there. He keeps rolling his hips, his cock hardening as they grind against each other.

 

“I don't want to be Tony  _ Stark _ , I just want to be yours,” Tony mumbles, running his hands up under James' shirt.

 

“I just wanna be yours too, doll,” James admits.

 

“Good.  _ Oh _ . Ok, now that that's settled,  _ fuck _ , I demand the removal of our clothes at once,” Tony kisses him, hot and deep, sending all other thoughts flying out of their heads.

 

Because bonded sex is every bit as good as the hype claims. Tony assumes he must have known that already, but his and James' first time after escaping that Hydra base had felt like a revelation. They've had sex a lot since then, like, vigorous, inescapably  _ loud _ sex, whenever they could. Condoms are traded like currency in war, just like cigarettes and booze, so they've  _ been _ using them... But honestly being pregnant isn't that surprising.

 

James obediently removes his own clothing and helps divest Tony of his, kissing skin with reverence as it's revealed. Tony is immediately turned on, whether it’s from the hormones or just  _ James _ , he has no idea, but he's already wet enough to leave a dark spot on his underwear.

 

“Mm, look at you,” James whispers, kissing Tony's stomach while his fingers rub over the damp cloth.

 

Tony whines, rocking his hips into James' teasing. He does love his foreplay though, so he doesn't insist James 'take him now' or anything like that. They've just started moving past the 'exploration' phase of re-learning each other's bodies, he counts on James to remember just how he likes to be touched now.

 

And the alpha in James enjoys using every single advantage he can to bring pleasure to his omega.

 

God, they're having a  _ baby _ .

 

James feels a surge of protectiveness, which oddly compliments his arousal pretty damn well... He pulls off Tony's underwear and slots himself between his omega's legs. He doesn't press inside him yet though, leaning over him to steal another kiss instead. Their crotches rub together skin on skin now, with Tony moaning into his mouth from the contact. James thumbs at Tony's nipples insistently, until the man's spine is bowing off the bed, relishing the sight of every straining muscle and panting breath he's given.

 

“You're coming at least three more times for me tonight, doll,” James rumbles into his mate's ear, earning himself a shiver.

 

Numbers two and three happen while James is rocking blissfully inside of him, his thick length hitting every pleasure point Tony has. Tony screams through the third one, clutching desperately to James' back because there's nowhere to go, nothing he can do except yield to the fierce roiling of pleasure inside him. It's fucking overwhelming in all the best ways, the feeling of being consumed until every deepest part of him is  _ drowning _ in orgasmic glory, from his fingertips right down to his toes.

 

His fourth orgasm, because James promised him three  _ more _ , happens after all the fan fair is done. They're still laying sweaty and filthy in each other's arms, with James spooning him from behind. He makes a slow and languorous work of mouthing at Tony's bond mark, until the flesh is over sensitive and tingling. Then he slips two fingers into his mate's body as he bites down gently, giving him something to come around as the slow waves of one last soft, almost delicate orgasm spill through him.

 

There's something inside James that just doesn't ever settle fully until his mate is completely limp and boneless in his arms. The level of trust displayed by it centers him like nothing else does.

 

It may not be 'normal', but their life as two science experiments on the run ain't so bad...

  
  
  


After a few hours of sleep, they both wake up early and pack their meager possessions into a couple backpacks.

 

“We should pick a last name,” Tony says, “You know, for when we can settle down.”

 

“Probably have to wait and see where we end up first... Pick somethin' that don't stand out too much,” James suggests.

 

Tony nods, opening the front door to find there's a man on the other side of it with a gun. Luckily, he looks as surprised for the door to have opened as Tony is to be seeing him, giving James time to intervene.

 

And by intervene, he means jump between them and knock the guy out with one punch.

 

The  _ one _ window that their slummy housing had is blown out at the same time that someone kicks in the back door. Tony helps James dispatch the rest of the goons at their front door, because there are quite a few more of them, and then they  _ run _ .

 

Shots ring out after them and Tony hopes no one innocent gets caught in their seemingly wild trajectories. He takes a bullet to his calf, but he keeps running through the pain, hoping the orange healing glow wasn't a one time deal... The pain dissipates after just a few seconds though, and his speed isn't hampered, so he assumes he must have permanent glow-stick abilities. The sensation of the bullet being pushed out of his flesh is  _ weird _ , but it strangely doesn't hurt.

 

They run and dodge down allies, jump where they can and scurry where they can't, until there's no sign of anyone still on their tail anymore.

 

“Jesus, who  _ the fuck _ are these Hydra guys?” Tony complains when he finally has a chance to catch his breath.

 

“I'm starting to think they don't like us very much,” James agrees, barely even breathing heavily.

 

“I can't believe they're still mad that we blew up their base. That was totally like,  _ months _ ago,” Tony says sarcastically, “ _ God _ , just  _ get over _ it already.”

 

James grins and kisses him.

 

They steal a car, and then another, and then a boat to give themselves some breathing room.

 

Line of sight is pretty far, out on the water.

 

A couple weeks later, Tony makes every ATM in San Jos é start spitting cash onto the street in order to get the money they need for fake identities and plane tickets across the Atlantic. He certainly doesn't want to rob a real person or anything... Even the transportation they've had to steal, they leave intact and ' _ cleaner' _ than when they stole it.

 

They do what they can to alter their appearances before the flight, with James growing a beard and changing his hair. Apparently pregnant omegas aren't supposed to dye their hair though? Who knew? So while James goes a trashy blond, Tony decides on an even deeper 'hiding in plain sight' gambit. He shaves his head and goatee completely, using makeup to exaggerate the circles under his eyes and sallow his cheeks.

 

James spends the whole flight hovering over him and not letting him do a thing for himself, playing up on him having some undefined 'illness' perfectly. Tony even throws up on the flight, earning sympathetic looks from his fellow passengers, though it's actually probably a product of the morning sickness and not anything he planned... 

 

But it still draws the perfect sort of attention, one that makes everyone around him feel guilty if they stare.

 

They keep their heads down in the airport after they land, which is aided by Tony leaning heavily on his alpha. James keeping his attention focused downward on him doesn't seem out of place because of it. 

 

They must not ping any facial recognition software, because they don't get stopped. 

 

They walking right out the front doors like everyone else.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FYI - Omegas in this verse are intersex, in case anyone was wondering.

They spend a month  _ carefully _ bumming around Europe, getting a feel for places and the flow of people before making a decision.

 

Switching identities again, they rent a house in a little seaside town in Lithuania.

 

James Bernotus gets a job in the cold room at a meat packing place.

 

His pregnant omega starts showing, the gentle curve of his stomach inviting James to keep a constant hand on it at all times.

 

Tony would  _ like _ to say that he is a good little omega with a famous-ish face that is trying to keep a low profile... But he is bored out of his goddamn mind after two weeks of sitting around at home and waiting for James to get back from work every day.

 

So he gets a part time job.

 

It's just three or four hours a day at a local grocery store, bagging people's food for them, nothing strenuous. It's such a small outfit that they don't have cameras or CCTV, which is why Tony chose this specific store. But it's still a type of mental stimulation and it helps immensely. He and James have been  _ going going going _ for so long that the sudden shift to doing  _ nothing _ was almost jarring. This is nice though. He gets to flirt with little old ladies and snicker at kids trying to buy alcohol too young. It's entertaining, if nothing else.

 

But the best thing about it is that he and the three other employees get first dibs on food that's about to expire and produce that's moving too quickly from being ripe to being mush.

 

They don't exactly have a lot of money, living on the up and up.

 

But it's cozy and relatively safe, even downright domestic at times. Like when James comes home and Tony has managed to cook an actual, real meal for him, all by himself. He's not afraid to admit that his alpha is way better at cooking than he is. But the soft, loving look James gives him when he sees how hard Tony tries, well, Tony would do any number of foolish things to get to see that look.

 

Including burning water.

 

Not that he did that on purpose.

 

Not that that's even what really  _ happened _ ... But when James discovered the saucepan on the stove with all the water boiled away, and half a dozen eggs getting their shells charred on the bottom inside it, he burst into laughter.

 

“It takes real talent to burn water, doll, I'll give you that,” he chuckled, setting the pan under a stream of cold water in the sink.

 

Tony just gets distracted easily sometimes, ok?

 

He pouts halfheartedly at James' teasing, but it's mostly for show. The hard boiled eggs he had been trying to make were still  _ fairly _ edible anyway.

  
  
  


Tony wakes up one morning to the most delicious sensation between his legs. He'd been dreaming of his alpha teasing him, fucking him slow and shallow with just the tip of his sizable cock, driving Tony crazy with want... Only to realize that James is actually eating him out, gently yet passionately, taking a great deal of pleasure in tasting everything Tony has to offer. Pleasure ebbs and flows through him with each pass of James' tongue, the feeling even more intense now that he's blinking to awareness.

 

Tony groans loudly, not holding back as soon as he's awake enough to participate.

 

James reaches up and rubs a hand possessively over Tony's heavily swollen stomach, never stopping the movement of his mouth.

 

“Jesus, James,” Tony pants, rocking his hips as best he can against his alpha's face. He is so, so blessed to have not only a smoking hot mate, but one who enjoys pleasuring him in any way he can. One of the things that he's discovered about James over time is that he, like,  _ loves _ oral sex; so much so that Tony wonders if the man doesn't have a bit of a fixation sometimes... But he's certainly not complaining.

 

James rumbles in contentment, causing Tony's legs to jolt a little at the sensation. He can't help but smile, even as his lips are pressed against Tony's  _ everything _ , loving the reactions he gets from his mate.

 

James brings up an even deeper, more possessive growl in his throat.

 

Tony keens and throws his head back, too on edge from the build up in his dream to hold out against such an onslaught.

 

Happily, James laps up all of his mate's release until Tony is pushing his head away, over sensitive, and calling him incorrigible.

 

James insists on making him breakfast that morning, and doing the washing himself...and a quickie against the counter once it's clean. And then he insists on cleaning up the mess from that himself too... Tony is a fan of being pampered, don't get him wrong, but it seems a little overboard, even for James...

 

It isn't until James announces that he's going to do a quick perimeter check before making Tony lunch, that it all clicks home.

 

He waits until his alpha has returned from “securing” his territory to pull James into a gentle hug.

 

“Babe, I don't know if you've noticed, but I think you're in rut?” Tony says calmly, stroking his alpha's back.

 

James is quiet for a second, but then he sighs. “Yeah, that adds up... Must be a mild one,” he says, nosing at Tony's hair.

 

“Well, I  _ am _ highly pregnant here, so that's to be expected...” Tony reminds him, knowing he's probably having trouble focusing on anything but his instincts. “I'm not exactly up for a three day sex fest at the moment.”

 

“Mmm, cause you're already knocked up,” James practically purrs, rubbing Tony's stomach.

 

“Yep,” Tony smiles, “Already filled up with your pup. I literally cannot get much more pregnant than this...”

 

James kisses him, deep and passionate, but pulls back with a peck to make Tony the food he promised.

 

After lunch, the perimeter checks increase to once every hour. Tony knows it's foolhardy at best to get in the way of an alpha on a rut-mission, so he doesn't say anything about it. James always scents him heavily before going to recheck every door and window in the house, and then scents him again when he returns, for good measure.

 

Tony is treated to a gentle love-making that evening that lasts almost three hours, leaving him as pliant and boneless afterward as any of their intense sessions ever did. Having James' instincts focused on him like this isn't exactly a hardship.

 

When James has to call his work the next day to let them know he'll need a couple days of rut leave, he gets some good natured teasing, but nothing too scandalous. Tony's already stopped working at the grocery store, so there's no one he needs to contact. They spend the next few days doing some intense cuddling, with James hand feeding him, helping wash him, and being generally over-protective. With the occasional bouts of gentle sex.

 

It's actually really nice. Tony is having a harder and harder time getting around as this pregnancy thing approaches its culmination. His energy levels have dropped a lot, and there are all kinds of aches and pains that are “normal” in pregnancy that apparently no one really talks about... The couple of books they have on the subject have mostly reassured Tony that things are going fine, which is an much as he's going to get, so he tries to just deal with it.

 

He's almost sad to see James' rut end...

 

But, he does notice that the heightened caretaking doesn't recede completely once James' hormones have re-balanced themselves.

 

“It's completely natural to need me more right now, doll. It's nothing,” James tells him as he cooks dinner yet again, for the fifth time that week. “It ain't like I'm some normal guy who gets tired after workin' only one shift anyway,” he reminds him, giving Tony a smile. “Remember that time we were headin' north from Puerto Ayacucho? I didn't sleep for like three days and I was fine.”

 

“I do remember... I guess, if you're sure it's ok...” Tony gives in, though it doesn't take much.

 

“It is, and I insist, babe. You look ready to burst any time now...”

 

Tony shoots him a flat look.

 

James puts his hands up in a gesture of surrender, dropping it, and goes back to cooking.


	5. Chapter 5

Eight months and one week after escaping the Hydra base, Tony gives birth in their bedroom to a beautiful baby boy. With god-only-knows what running through his and James' veins, they just couldn't risk going to a doctor, even for this.

 

It's meant a fair amount of extra worry on their parts, but neither of them could see a way around it. If Hydra were to be tipped off by 'abnormal' medical records being flagged somewhere, and show up toward the end of the pregnancy, or right after Tony delivered, he'd be unable to defend himself. James was a fantastic alpha, and practically a killing  _ machine _ when he got going, but he could only be in so many places at once, only do so much at once...

 

So no doctors.

 

There's a kind older lady who goes by “Grandma Miskinis” a few doors down from them, who doesn't think Tony's aversion to medicine is weird, and has shared her family recipe for a spicier than normal borscht with him. She shows up halfway through his labor, as if called magically, and helps them keep their heads level through the rest of it.

 

Tony will never forget the look on James' face when she told him that she wouldn't catch the baby for him, he'd have to do it himself since it was his fault it was in there to begin with.

 

He will also never forget the look on James's face when he lifted their freshly born son up and placed him reverently on Tony's chest, red and squalling and _the_ _absolute embodiment of perfection_.

 

Their bond sings so strongly, Tony can barely tell where his emotions end and James' begin.

 

“There is a power in family, in creating a life together. Don't ever forget that,” she instructs them.

 

Tony stops paying complete attention after that, caught up in scenting his son and watching James oh-so-carefully cut the umbilical cord. Apparently he passes the placenta just fine? His own body is the furthest thing from his mind right then, all his senses are focused on his son. Tony cries a near constant stream of joyful tears as little Gregory James latches on and feeds for the first time.

 

He feels like jumping up and down, yelling from the top of his lungs, “I did it! It's working!”, but he refrains.

 

Mostly because it would jostle the baby. And because he's also spectacularly exhausted.

 

After Grandma Miskinis leaves, James lays down with them on the bed and tells Tony that there was some tearing during the birth, but that it  _ healed _ on its own...

 

“Huh... I guess contractions don't count as  _ damage _ ,” Tony sighs. He's not actually put out though. He'd go through it all again in a heartbeat, to get to have his son at the end of it.

 

“I love you so much, Tony,  _ so much _ , I... I don't even have words to describe it, what you mean to me, what the both of you mean to me,” James cries unashamedly as he holds the two of them close.

 

“I love you too, James, we both do, so much,” Tony gets choked up again by the emotion his alpha is feeling, virtually  _ pouring _ down the bond to him.

 

Tony knows without a doubt that this is the happiest he has ever been in his life.

  
  
  


The social fund in Lithuania will give James 30 days of pay in order to be able to stay home and bond with his newborn.

 

They only make it a couple weeks though.

 

The three of them are taking a family nap one afternoon, because one sleeps  _ whenever _ they can as a new parent, when The Gregster ™ wakes up and starts fussing for a diaper change. Tony scoops him into his arms quietly, leaving James to rest since he was the one up most of the night before. He'd bet money that his alpha isn't actually  _ all _ the way asleep, but it's the principle of the thing.

 

Tony hums some random soothing tune as he changes out the soggy diaper, deciding he might as well stay up and get started on dinner. He wraps Gregory in a homemade baby sling that keeps him close to Tony's chest as he works.

 

There's a knock on the door while he's dicing potatoes, which doesn't immediately rile him like it used to, since Grandma Miskinis started bringing them meals sometimes after Greggie was born. Tony still checks to see who it is first before opening it though. He looks  _ every _ time before opening it for any reason, after that Hydra incident.

 

There's a man and woman on the steps, but they're not one of their surrounding neighbors. Odds are they're probably coworkers of James' or something, but Tony scans what he can see of their block for any suspicious movement or Hydra agents before he actually greets them, all the same.

 

“Hi. Can I help you?” he asks in Russian.

 

The man, a tall blond who instantly registers as an alpha, gapes at him.

 

The woman, whose scent is harder to pin down, doesn't say a word, but her eyes widen.

 

“W- What are  _ you _ doing here?” the man stammers in English.

 

“Uh, I live here...” Tony switches to English, giving them a raised eyebrow.

 

“Where's Bucky?” the blond asks, brows furrowing.

 

Tony shakes his head. “I don't know any 'Bucky', you guys must have the wrong address...”

 

“No. I know he's here,” the man says firmly, smelling the air.

 

Tony... Tony is suddenly getting a  _ very _ bad feeling about all this...

 

“Look, I don't know who you think you are, but if you know what's good for you, you'll leave right now,” Tony sets his hackles up. He cups a hand protectively over the back of Gregory's head as he tries to close the door on them.

 

As his instincts predicted, and  _ God _ does Tony hate being right sometimes, the blond doesn't let it go. A hand catches the edge of the door, pushing it back open on Tony.

 

Two on one, and the one being him holding the baby, are not good odds.

 

They force their way into the house so quickly that even Tony's normally fast thinking doesn't have time to formulate a plan. He backs up, instincts overriding all else, and drops into a protective ball around Gregory.

 

“Look, we just want to-” Steve starts, but is cut off by surprise.

 

Because Tony  _ screams _ .

 

He screams as if he were some damsel in distress, which is, like, the  _ antithesis _ of everything he stands for...

 

And then Bucky is there.

 

And then Bucky is kicking _the_ _living shit_ out of him and Natasha, landing hits that would _kill_ a normal person with a complete and utter _rage_ in his eyes that Steve has never seen before.

 

Natasha, who has always been smarter than him, goes down and stays down after her arm is broken by the Winter Soldier like it's child's play.

 

Steve tries to get Bucky's attention though, because he's stubborn and sentimental like that, he can't give up, won't give up on his best friend just because something has obviously gone  _ seriously _ wrong.

 

Bucky doesn't even hesitate, while Steve is talking about the end of the line, to smash his head against the floor so hard that it actually  _ knocks him out _ .

 

When he wakes up, he and Natasha are still sprawled out on the living room floor, and there's no sign of Bucky or Tony.

 

“Steve, you are an absolute moron,” Natasha huffs at him, still laying prone, as if she was waiting for him to regain consciousness specifically to say that.

 

Steve doesn't dignify that with a response. But he does groan, because wow, he hasn't taken a beating like this in a long time...

 

“What just happened?... I thought... I thought Princess Shuri said they removed the triggers?”

 

“That wasn't the Winter Soldier, Steve,” Natasha sighs, “That was an alpha with all the Winter Soldier's skills going feral because we invaded his home and attacked his mate and pup.”

 

“Mate and pup?!?”

 

“Steve, Tony was holding a baby the whole time,” Natasha points out.

 

“I know, but, that didn't mean it was  _ his _ ... I...” Steve trails off, feeling kind of stupid in his single-mindedness to get to  _ Bucky _ . “Oh, Christ, what did we just do...” he groans.

 

“Well, on the bright side,” Natasha says as she finally levers herself off the ground, “We'll be able to track him down again more quickly this time.”

 

“A baby  _ will _ slow them down,” Steve agrees, not liking how that sentence sounds as soon as it leaves his mouth.

 

“Perhaps. But I meant because now, Miss Potts and Friday won't be so reluctant to help with  _ our _ search anymore.”


	6. Chapter 6

Tony is whining in his sleep, his body tense and tight when James reaches to wake him from the nightmare. He comes awake with a shout, jerking away instinctively from the hands on him, until he sees that it's James. Then he surges forward into his alpha's waiting arms, shaking and shaking and  _ shaking _ for a long time as James tries to soothe him.

 

“Gregory-” Tony manages to squeeze the word out.

 

“He's just fine, Tony. You want me to get him for you?” James offers as he rubs his omega's back. He knows the flavor of Tony's fears from what he's told him of the dream before. Tony nods against his chest, uncurling his hands from James' shirt so he can get up and retrieve their son.

 

He quickly gathers the boy up and brings him back to their too-small bed. Sometimes it's the only thing that can truly calm his mate from the recurring nightmare that Tony gets a couple times a week now.

 

None of the attacks Hydra made against them before affected him like this... But they didn't have Gregory then either...

 

Tony thinks they must have known that alpha.

 

Or rather, that he knew _them_.

 

The way he reacted to Tony, the way he was  _ looking _ for James, even though he was calling him 'Bucky'...

 

In Tony's nightmares, the alpha doesn't stop after pushing his way into their house. They're fighting, with Tony trying his best to protect the precious, precious bundle on his chest. But the alpha just doesn't stop, doesn't ever get tired... And when James shows up, he's  _ helping _ the strange alpha...things morphing and shifting in nonsensical ways in his dream. They chase him and he chases them, suddenly they're all wearing different clothes, the blond alpha pins him and raises his shield over his head...

 

Sometimes James wakes him up before the alpha in his dreams smashes the shield into his chest, but the first time Tony had the dream, he didn't.

 

Waking up screaming and hysterical is not good for people trying to keep a low profile.

 

Thankfully, Gregory cradled warm and alive in his arms does wonders to dispel the tendrils of the dream that always remain with him when Tony wakes.

 

“It's only a dream, sweetheart. See? Gregory's just fine,” James whispers softly as Tony's heart rate comes back down.

 

“It just feels so real, every time...” Tony shudders. “I... I'm scared, James. I'm so damn scared,” he confesses. “We always knew we didn't have all the pieces...but...now it's not just us fumbling around with the little information we do have... If something happens to Gregory, I'd never forgive myself...” Tony says in a hushed tone. “...If anything happened to him,  _ I'd burn the world down _ , forgiveness won't even be part of the equation,” he admits, voice filled with emotion.

 

“I'd help you,” James promises, no arguing, giving the back of his omega's neck a squeeze.

 

And then, a little later, “Are you thinkin' we should try our luck at the Embassy now?”

 

Tony bites his lower lip, keeping his gaze on Gregory laying between them. “I... Logically, it would just be a resources decision, if we did it. I don't actually  _ remember _ being Tony Stark, even if I really was him... But if I was...” Tony looks up at James' face, “Well, we'd be a hell of a lot more secure, better able to protect him,” he says, placing a hand on Gregory's stomach.

 

The boy coos and gurgles between them, oblivious to the heavy topic.

 

James nods.

 

“It's a larger playing field to worry about too though, of course,” Tony thinks out loud, “With being that kind of public figure... We'd have a better ability to protect him, but there'd be more threats too...”

 

“Well, we ain't exactly sure how many threats there are right  _ now _ ,” James points out, “And I think we might be on the same size playing field no matter what, because there's obviously other people out there who think you're Tony Stark too, doll...”

 

Tony sighs.

 

“Give me a little more time to think about it?” he asks, “I just feel like... You know there's not really going to be any going back if I  _ am _ , right?”

 

“I know, doll, I know. Whatever you think is best, I'll be right here at your side.”

  
  
  
  


They go to a suburb of Prague and become Mikhail and Antonin Braslavsky while Tony's debating it.

 

Gregory is still Gregory though. Tony can't bring himself to give their son a 'fake' name, it feels like he's too innocent for that, like it would taint his future or doom him to this kind of life forever if he did... So Greg-y-pooh he stays.

 

Mikhail drives a forklift on swing shift, because it pays better, and Antonin stays home with their baby and tries not to go  _ completely _ overboard in his paranoia. With their lives, there's a certain healthy level of it that they have to have. But Tony makes an effort to not devolve into a totally reclusive lunatic, for Gregory's sake.

 

He even takes the Greg-a-saurus out into their back yard and lets him lay on a blanket in the sun for a few minutes sometimes. Not every day, or at the same time of day, and not at predictable intervals, but it's still  _ something _ . It makes him feel ridiculously vulnerable, but, it's probably not as bad as he makes it out to be in his head. Normal, well adjusted people take their babies out of the house occasionally, no big deal.

  
  


A couple months after they arrive in Czechia, they get new neighbors in the house to the right of them.

 

He sees Mrs. Klein bringing them one of her awful casseroles, likely the same recipe as the one she brought Tony when they moved in, and he thinks, oh man, those poor people... He's not quite sure what possesses him to take pity on them, but he figures a batch of chocolate chip cookies will cure all manner of evils. Except for maybe  _ actual _ food poisoning, which is a real concern with Mrs. Klein...

 

“We'd better make a double batch, my little Greg-a-licious, so Daddy can have some too when he gets home,” Tony talks to his son nearly constantly whenever he does anything.

 

This is good.

 

This will be good for them.

 

Tony can tell James that he actually went outside the house today  _ and _ that he talked to people.  _ With _ Greg. He'll be proud of him for taking a little baby step (Ha!  _ Baby _ step!) all on his own. For some reason the thought of going over and introducing himself to these people doesn't seem risky, not really, not when it's right next door and the whole neighborhood is watching.

 

So Tony puts the freshly baked cookies on a plate, covering them with a sheet of foil, and makes sure Greg is secure in his baby sling. He takes a deep breath, then checks the door, and finally goes outside.

 

“You're doing great, Gregster, keep it up,” he gives them both a pep-talk as they walk.

 

The woman who answers the door is an alpha that practically  _ exudes _ ex-military. But not in an off-putting way. She looks kind of flustered to have more visitors.

 

“Hi. Sorry, I don't mean to intrude,” Tony begins with, flashing her a smile. “I'm Antonin, and this is Gregory, we live next door,” he introduces them.

 

“Oh, it's no trouble. I'm Carol,” she seems to snap out of it quickly, reaching out to shake his hand.

 

Tony shuffles the cookies for a second to do so, but then thrusts them semi-awkwardly at her afterward. “These are for you guys, I just made them this afternoon. We and our alpha just moved in a couple months ago ourselves. Word to the wise, I wouldn't attempt to actually  _ consume _ the casserole Mrs. Klein brought you, if you can at all help it,” Tony offers conspiratorially.

 

“That's good to know...” Carol nods, catching his meaning. Then she angles her head back into the house and raises her voice, “Jim! Pause the game for a minute and come meet the neighbors!”

 

Tony is glad she didn't invite him in, he's not sure he's ready for  _ that _ yet, and he talks with her about what a pain moving is while they wait for her husband to appear.

 

When Jim arrives, it turns out he's also an alpha, and probably ex-military as well. Tony already knew he was disabled from seeing his wheelchair zipping around during the unload earlier. He's suitably impressed by the cookies, which makes Tony happy, and he seems like a pretty funny guy, joking about his legs being tired from carrying all those boxes. His wife swats him on the shoulder playfully. Tony can tell they've got a good dynamic. It makes him really glad he took the chance coming over here. Eventually Greg starts fussing though, and they have to head back home, so Tony shakes their hands one more time as they say goodbye.

 

“It was good to meet you Carol.”

 

“Same to you, Antonin, we look forward to meeting your alpha too.”

 

“Yeah, I'll have to bring him by sometime...”

 

“See you around,” Jim waves.

 

“Yep, see you, Platypus,” Tony smiles and waves one last time as he leaves.

 

He's in a great mood as he walks back home, telling Greg what an excellent job he did of winning over the neighbors.

  
  
  


After Carol shuts the door, she leans against it, too stunned for words.

  
Rhodey puts his head in his hands and says, “Christ,  _ what the hell _ is going on, Tones...”

 

 

 

 


	7. Chapter 7

James is happy to see Tony interacting with the world more. The neighbors he talks about meeting seem to be the highlight of their whole time here. So of course he says Tony should invite them over for dinner. They ain't got a lot, but that doesn't mean they can't share. Everyone needs friends, after all. James jokes around and makes nice with his coworkers, but Tony doesn't have that, being cooped up here all alone.

 

When he sees their guests coming up the walkway, his eyes widen.

 

“Tony?... Are these the neighbors you invited over?”

 

“What? Yeah, let them in, I'm pulling the garlic bread out right now.”

 

James stands unmoving for a moment, then sighs.

 

He opens the door just as Jim and Carol have maneuvered up the single step involved with their tiny stoop of a porch.  Thankfully there's only the one to deal with.

 

“Come on in, we should talk inside,” he says, waving them through the door. He gives Colonel Rhodes a knowing look. The man wheels forward calmly into what must be unknown danger for them, and James has to give him credit for his bravery.

 

He shuts the door behind them.

 

Tony comes out of the kitchen beaming, holding Gregory in the crook of his arm.

 

“Well aren't you guys punctual, welcome, welcome,” Tony takes the salad Carol promised to bring from her, “This looks great, I'll just set it in the kitchen and be right back.”

 

Rhodey stares at him, glancing at Barnes out of the corner of his eye, watching to see if the other man finds the action out of character as well. If he does, he doesn't show it.

 

As soon as Tony comes back into the room, James gives Colonel Rhodes one more quick look, and sighs.

 

“Ok, doll, I know we don't remember anything about who we used to be-”

 

Tony sucks in a breath, spinning to look at James like he can't believe what he's talking about  _ in front of strangers _ .

 

“-but, I think there might be somethin' to the fact that you're so happy to makes friends with the man who's been  _ Tony Stark's _ best friend his whole life,” James waves a hand in Colonel Rhodes' direction.

 

“What are you... What?! What do you mean?” Tony asks, looking at his 'neighbor Jim' suspiciously now. “How do you know that?”

 

“Look, I know you think it was us using that computer in Panama that tipped off Hydra, and you're probably right, but there's other ways of gettin' information besides the internet,” James says blandly.

 

Tony gives him a exaggeratedly squinty look.

 

“You really don't remember who you are?” Rhodey says. “Nothing at all?... Jesus...” he mutters, rubbing his face. It looks like Barnes has decided to play it cool and talk about whatever the hell this is that's happening like grown ups, so he'll go along with it for now. At least until he gets more information. He isn't sure that he can 100% trust everything 'Bucky' says, but the man  _ did _ try to kill Captain America without a second thought, for Tony, so that's certainly earned him the benefit of the doubt.

 

Plus, he also hasn't gone into a killing rage at the sight of  _ them _ , so you know, that's cool.

 

Tony seems torn over something, but with one last searching look at his alpha, he deflates. “These Hydra jerks had this sort of torture chair thing...”

 

Rhodey's eyebrows go up.

 

“James saved me, but, we'd already both had our minds wiped at that point-”

 

“Wait, if you'd both had your memories erased, which I unfortunately understand is a real thing that can happen, why would Barnes save you?” Rhodey questions.

 

“It hurts,” James speaks up, “When they take your memories away.” He runs a hand through his hair as if remembering the pain, “I could feel it through the bond.”

 

“You're  _ bonded _ ?!!” Rhodey practically shouts, scaring Gregory.

 

Tony gives Rhodey a dirty look for upsetting the baby, and begins rocking the boy back and forth soothingly.

 

Rhodey's eyes get wider than they possibly ever have before. “Tones,... Is that  _ your _ baby?” he asks, dead serious.

 

Tony frowns, offended.

 

“What? Of course he's mine! Why would I be carrying around a random baby that wasn't mine?” he asks back, clearly dumbfounded.

 

“Because even if _you_ don't, _I do_ know your sorry ass, and you _absolutely_ _would_ pick up a baby that had been abandoned or something and try to raise it yourself. Don't _even_ give me that look.”

 

Tony huffs.

 

There's a beat of silence where he can't defend himself, because even without remembering, he _knows_ he _absolutely_ _would_ help any baby that needed it.

 

“So. You wake up with a blank slate, realize you're bonded to this alpha who's a complete stranger, and decide to get pregnant and go on the run with him for a year...” Rhodey sighs, like he's not surprised.

 

“From Hydra,” James adds, “We're running from Hydra, not just for the fun of it.”

 

“Well, and technically the Venezuelan army too, at least we were for a while there. And actually, while we're getting facts straight, I was probably already pregnant when they wiped us,” Tony says, waving his fingers at his temple, “So you can scratch that off your 'post mind wipe bad decisions' list, Rhodey-bear.”

 

The Venezuelan army comment only gets a shake of his head from Rhodey, but the comment about having already been pregnant gives him pause.

 

“I mean, I had The Gregster ™ here 33 weeks after we blew up, er,  _ escaped from _ , that Hydra base. That would be premature if he'd been conceived afterward, and he wasn't undersized or anything. He's been perfectly healthy,” Tony tells them. “We, uh, couldn't exactly go to a doctor, so I kept really close track of everything that I could...”

 

“Tony...do you remember when it was that you escaped from Hydra?” Rhodey asks, not bothering to hide the sudden gentleness in his voice.

 

“Uh, yeah...it was in July, around the 26 th , we think,” he answers, looking for Rhodey to explain his asking.

 

“Are... Are you  _ sure _ Barnes is the father?” Rhodey asks, like he's hoping the answer is no.

 

“I am,” James speaks up right away, “I can smell it. I can smell a lot of things that normal people can't.”

 

“Goddamn super soldiers,” Rhodey mutters under his breath, rubbing at his forehead. He sees Tony shoot James a relieved look, which James returns with an easy smile.

 

The two of them have obviously been through a lot together.

 

So he decides to drop it for now.

 

“So is that his actual last name then, 'Barnes'?” Tony asks when Rhodey doesn't volunteer anything else right away.

 

“Yeah. James Buchanan Barnes,” Rhodey sighs.

 

“Huh. I guess that's where the 'Bucky' thing comes from... Thank god you let me name our kid, because, wow, that is a mouthful,” Tony says, bringing Gregory up and kissing his little cheeks.

 

“Uh, Gregory's just as many syllables as Buchanan,” James points out.

 

“Whatever. 'James Buchanan Barnes' makes you sound like a comic book character,” Tony sticks his tongue out. James leans forward, nipping at his omega's mouth like the tongue is a challenge he accepts. Rhodey sits there and watches these two love-struck, fucking  _ star-crossed _ idiots, and wonders how his life came to this.

 

Oh yeah,  _ Hydra _ , that's how.

 

“I hate to break up the party,” Rhodey clears his throat, “But, uh, 'James', actually  _ is _ Captain America's sidekick...”

 

And that's what finally does it.

 

Not that Rhodey was trying to hurt him,  _ at all _ , but of course the mention of Captain Righteous drains the color from Tony's face even now...

 

“That... That alpha... In my dream, that's what he's wearing, a Captain America costume...” Tony shivers, and James guides him over to sit down on the couch. He puts an arm around Tony, pulling him in close to his chest.

 

Rhodey wheels closer while Carol goes to sit on the floor due to lack of other seating. She knows this is Jim's show, not hers, and is fine with staying in the background.

 

“Can you tell me about this dream, Tones?” Rhodey asks.

 

“It's... More like fragments? It doesn't really make sense,” Tony mumbles, “It always starts with him forcing his way into the house, but, then it changes...”

 

Rhodey saw the footage from the dead suit in Siberia years ago, but he remembers it as clearly as if he had watched it this morning. The things Tony describes match up perfectly with what he went through then...

 

“Hey,” he says, as Tony begins to cry outright at the thought of his baby being  _ smashed _ , “It wasn't Gregory, ok? It was the arc reactor. Gregory wasn't there, Tones, he didn't even exist back then.”

 

Tony takes a shuddering breath, turning to look at Rhodey, while still pressed against his alpha's chest of course.

 

“It was real, then...”

 

“Yeah, unfortunately...” Rhodey admits.

 

“Are Captain America and Iron Man enemies?” Tony asks softly.

 

“No, Tony,” Rhodey answers truthfully, seeing the tense way that James is hanging on to his answer as well, “But... Well, they certainly aren't friends anymore, either...”

 

It's quiet in the small living room for a while as Tony and James absorb the information. The only sounds are the quiet baby noises Gregory makes.

 

“See, this was why I didn't want to be Tony  _ Stark _ ,” Tony grumbles against James' chest. James squeezes him in a hug.

 

“I'll be honest with you, Tones, it's only going to get worse from here, as far as finding out how fucked up your pasts were...” Rhodey does what he can to warn them. “ _ But _ , you've had a long time of getting to know each other like this, with no preconceived ideas coloring things... And if you fell this hard in love as just yourselves, hell, maybe it will be worth the pain of remembering if you can fall in love as Tony Stark and James Barnes too...”

 

“Wow, that's quite the ringing endorsement there, sugar cube...” Tony sighs.

 

“Well, I may be your sugar cube, but it ain't the best friend's job to sugar  _ coat _ things,” Rhodey huffs.

 

“You think we'll get our memories back?” James asks tentatively.

 

“I do.  _ You _ did once before. This isn't the first time Hydra's messed with your head, James. It took a few years, but eventually seeing familiar people helped pull out a lot of what you'd lost last time. It'll probably be easier for Tony, at least I hope so, because there are a lot more familiar faces around, if he wants to see them... You only had Steve, back then,” Rhodey explains.

 

“I guess we're doing this then,” Tony says, giving Gregory in his arms a contemplative look. “I kind of get the feeling that we don't really understand what we're signing up for, but, if it helps protect our son, then it's worth it in the end,” Tony adds with a nod.

 

“Alright. We'll makes some calls, Tones. I'm glad you're finally going to be coming back home, man... Real glad. Now, before any of that though, I hope you're planning on letting me hold my nephew. When was the little guy born anyway?” Rhodey asks, noticing happily that Tony doesn't look for permission from his alpha before handing Greg over.

 

“He was born on March 14 th ,” Tony beams.

 

“No shit? Tony Stark's son, born on Pi day, the nerds are going to love that...”


	8. Chapter 8

 

“There are a few things you're going to need to know before we head back to the States,” Rhodey says, handing Gregory back to Tony.

 

“Why don't we talk about it over dinner?” Tony suggests, hearing Rhodey's stomach grumble.

 

“Sure. I could eat... You really made those cookies yourself, man? They weren't half bad,” Rhodey asks as they follow him into the kitchen.

 

Tony preens under the praise.

 

“Wait 'til you try his garlic bread,” James smiles, “It's damn near addicting.”

 

Rhodey watches as Tony  _ blushes _ , like some... Oh. Like some  _ omega housewife _ ...

 

“Well, it did take a little trial and error to get it just right, but, um, yeah... We like it,” Tony shrugs, smiling up at his alpha.

 

Huh.

 

“Cool, I look forward to trying it,” Rhodey says, moving up to the spot on the table that's had its chair cleared away for him already. “So... Where's the rest of it?” he frowns, looking at the food spread out and waiting.

 

Tony blinks at him.

 

“Don't tell me your resident super soldier couldn't scarf all this down just as a snack,” Rhodey waves at the table.

 

Tony blinks at him again, but then his eyes get wide.  “Something you want to share with the rest of the class, babe?” he turns and asks James.  His words seem almost teasing, but his face betrays how upset he is by the revelation that James has been keeping his hunger from him.

 

“Doll, listen to me,” James sighs, putting one hand on Tony's hip and using the other to cup his face. “If I have to choose to do without so that you and Gregory have what you need, it's because  _ I _ ain't able to provide enough, as your alpha. Don't you start thinkin' this is your fault in any way,” he insists.

 

The Tony Rhodey knew would have called bullshit on an alpha having to do all the 'providing' in a heartbeat... But, he also wouldn't have been talked out of blaming himself for anything either...

 

“Ok...” Tony takes a deep breath, “Ok... I just hate the fact that you're walking around hungry all the time. That's just... No. I don't like it. You sit down right now, buster, and get eating,” Tony jabs a finger into James' chest, brooking no arguments.

 

James leans in for a kiss before obeying, then goes and sits next to Rhodey.

 

Tony starts hauling food out of the fridge, which is in pretty spartan shape to begin with, and putting it all on the counter. “Since we're leaving anyway, it's not like we have to worry about Daddy's lunches next week,” he talks to Gregory, by force of habit, as he starts making more food. “We're going to cook it all, Greg-arious, we'll have a feast!”

 

Greg coos, still tucked in the crook of Tony's arm. Tony stops for a second to scent him, always wanting to reward anything that could be seen as a response from his son.

 

“Here, let me hold him if you're going to do all this, doll. I can eat with one arm,” James offers, standing to take the boy. Tony concedes, handing him over as he goes to get out a frying pan. James rests the boy high up on his chest, so that Gregory is snuffling and scenting into his alpha's neck. James uses his real hand to keep him secured there while he eats with the mechanical one.

 

Rhodey watches all this contemplatively.

 

Tony sits down to join them in eating once the other dishes are cooking away.

 

“Alright,” he says, looking calmer, “The next time anything like this happens, or becomes an issue, or whatever,  _ you tell me _ , got it?” he shoots James a pointed look. “I can help, you know. I'm pretty good at coming up with innovative solutions and all that. But not when I don't even realize there's a problem.”

 

James looks properly chastised, hanging his head in submission to his omega's scolding. “I promise, Tony. I... I just was so worried about the stress you were under with bein' pregnant, I didn't want to add to it...”

 

Tony sighs, reaching over to give James' arm a squeeze. “I get that. And I do appreciate how much you watch out for us...just...you've got to tell me when something's wrong, ok? It's just as much my job to watch out for the two of you as it is yours to watch out for us, ok?”

 

James nods, leaning in to rest his face against Tony's neck for a moment. Thankfully it's a small table, or it wouldn't work so well.

 

“So...we're ok now?...” James asks.

 

Tony strokes the back of his alpha’s head a few times, then says, “Yeah, we are. As long as you keep eating until you're actually full.”

 

James flashes him a smile and tucks back in to his plate. They all eat for a while, with Tony entertaining them with their stories of being on the run in Venezuela. At one point James sniffs the air, then hands Gregory over to Tony and gets up to save something from burning on the stove. Tony doesn't even seem to register it, until James is bringing the finished product to the table a few minutes later.

 

“Oh... I was going to...” he trails off sheepishly.

 

“No problem, doll. This is a team effort, remember?” James winks at him.

 

Tony rolls his eyes, but lets it go.

 

Rhodey has to begrudgingly admit that he's impressed. Tony is a smart guy, one of the the smartest, so he has to have realized that there’s a chance his and James' bonding wasn’t under 'normal' circumstances... But here he is, being all mature and shit, talking about his feelings with his alpha... Living the kind of ridiculously domestic life that he thought was out of his reach by the time he realized he might want it...

 

“Family looks good on you, Tones,” Rhodey smiles, hoping his friend can hold on to the happiness he's found here through the storm that's about to come.

 

“Does it?” Tony smiles.

 

“Yeah, it really does.”

  
  
  


That night, after Jim and Carol have left to make the necessary arrangements, Tony and James pack a few things for the baby. They don't really have anything worth taking for themselves. Tony gets their 'on the run' backpack out too, stuffing some extra crackers and cookies in it, just in case. Pretty much everything non-perishable that he can fit without it bulging too much...

 

James gives him a kiss on the cheek while he's working.

 

Tony sets it next to their bedroom door with the baby's bag before they lay down for the night.

 

Both of them are a little restless, but exchanging blowjobs helps relax them enough to sleep.

 

Tony dreams that night, but it's not of Captain America. 

 

It's of a skinny kid too young for his peers, trying to survive alone at MIT. It's of a fellow engineering student taking him under his wing, watching out for him like the sibling Tony never had. He dreams of  _ Rhodey _ , falling to his knees to hug him in the desert, falling out of the sky in a battle that shouldn't have happened, 'falling' to one knee and asking Carol to marry him.

 

Tony wakes with a jolt, but it's not from a nightmare.

 

“ _ Rhodey _ ,” he explains when James asks what's wrong, “I  _ remember _ Rhodey!” He hops out of bed and throws his clothes on, then runs out the door without another word.

 

James smiles, shaking his head, and hopes Colonel Rhodes doesn't sleep naked or anything, because he's about to have a surprise. Since he's fully awake from the excitement, he figures he might as well check on Gregory. His son is awake, but looking content in his crib. James decides they shouldn't be left out of the party, so he scoops him up to head over to the neighbor's house too. On a whim, he grabs both of their go bags, in case Greg needs a diaper change, and in case Tony can't go back to sleep and they end up just taking off from the Colonel's place in the morning.

 

James turns out the lights and locks the door behind him, taking a leisurely stroll in the moonlight with his son, following Tony's scent next door. Being a super soldier does have its perks sometimes too.

 

He does, indeed, find his mate in bed with the Colonel. Things seem to have moved passed the initial excitement phase though, and into 'overwhelmed with emotion' territory... Tony is crying quietly, clinging to his best friend tightly as  _ his Rhodey _ returns the embrace just as fiercely.

 

“They're probably going to be a while,” Carol says, offering to make some tea.

 

“That sounds great, ma'am,” James nods, leaving them to it. There's a tiny twinge of nervousness that passes through him, like, Tony might remember who he is and leave James behind... But it's quashed easily by the memory of all the, well,  _ memories _ they've made together since then.

 

Carol moves around confidently in the dim moonlight, as if by silent agreement that flipping on a light switch would disturb the moment.

 

They drink tea while Gregory mouths at a teething ring.

 

It's practically serene, until the sound of a too-large truck coming down the road makes James' instincts twitch. He sets down his cup and picks up Gregory in one smooth motion. Carol frowns, as if she's drawn the same conclusion, that the sound is out of place for this neighborhood and this time of night.

 

She moves to the window to subtly peek out the edge of the curtain as James heads back to the bedroom.

 

“We might have trouble,” he says right away as he opens the door, interrupting Rhodey and Tony's conversation. Tony springs out of bed, but glances back at Rhodey.

 

“Go, I can get the braces on myself,” he waves.

 

Tony takes Gregory right away, and James directs him to their packs, so he can gear up.

 

Carol turns to them as they enter the living room and says, “Hydra just swarmed your house. I don't think they know about Jim and I, since they didn't come here immediately as well. I've already sent an alert for backup, they're en route, ETA 16 minutes.”

 

Tony and James watch her unfold the couch into a hide-a-bed, but instead of a mattress, there's a veritable armory hidden inside it.

 

“Have I ever told you how happy I am that you married my sour-puss?” Tony says to Carol as he finishes fastening Greg in his baby sling.

 

She smiles at him and hands him and James automatic rifles.

 

“You have. But I guess I should actually be apologizing for not bringing you your suit...”

 

Tony blinks at her for a second.

 

“I... No, that's fine. I remember Rhodey, but, that's pretty much it?... I'm not sure I'd even know how to use one of those suits... And plus, Greg wouldn't fit inside it with me, so that's not really an option,” Tony tells her.

 

She nods in understanding, picking up a gun for herself.

 

“Just so you know, James, I beat Captain America once at arm wrestling, my strength is on par with yours, if we need it,” Carol informs him.

 

James raises an eyebrow. “Good to know.”

 

An explosion erupts somewhere from the house they were living in.

 

Tony stifles a whine, thinking about what might have happened. James steps in front of him defensively, though he stays facing the windows. They can hear voices yelling outside, obviously pissed at having been outrun again.

 

James goes deadly still.

 

“They've got a dog,” he says, tilting his ear toward the window, “They're going to find us.”

 

Rhodey comes out of the bedroom, walking, thanks to his braces, and accepts a gun from Carol.

 

“Where's your suit?!” Tony hisses at him.

 

“This was an information gathering, civilian operation, Tones, War Machine isn't exactly built for undercover work,” Rhodey says, “What, you thought I had it parked in the garage?”

 

“We don't have time for this,” James says, moving to the front door. “Everybody get down.”

 

“James...” Tony half whispers his name.

 

“You know I’d do anything to protect you, doll,” James says, glancing back. “What's our backup's ETA now?” he asks Carol.

 

“Ten more minutes,” she answers.

 

“We can't just sit around in here once the shooting starts, they could have more explosives,” Tony points out, placing a hand on Gregory's back protectively.

 

“Jim and I will go guns blazing out the front while you two sneak out the back,” Carol agrees, flicking her safety off. “It's a tad predictable, but we don't have a lot of options.”

 

“We should go now while we still have the element of surprise, before the dog's braying at our door,” James says, moving to guide Tony to the back of the house.

 

“Be careful, Platypus,” Tony says, momentarily torn in his concern. He decides he has enough to go around though, for his family and for his best friend.

 

“I always am,” Rhodey nods.

 

As he and Tony are quietly checking and opening the back door, James can hear Carol's quiet admonishment to her baseline human husband... “Ah, ah, Colonel, lady's first,” she reminds him. James also picks up the soft sound of a kiss, which makes a surge of guilt well up in his chest. But then he glances at Tony, and at Gregory guarded fiercely in his arms, and decides to let anyone sacrifice anything for his mate and son that they want to.

 

 

 

 


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains a trigger warning, see end notes for details/spoilers.

They make it to the edge of the yard before Hydra's tracking dog starts barking and Gregory cries, scared on a primal level of vicious the noise.  

 

All hell breaks loose after that.

 

James scans the area with in-human speed, tipping a metal wheelbarrow on its side and pushing Tony and Greg down to the ground behind it.

 

Gunfire erupts in the air.  

 

Gregory starts _screaming_ against Tony's chest as the damn dog is let loose from its handler. Thankfully James dispatches it easily, but Tony must have been a dog person, because it makes him cringe to see it.

 

Tony picks off Hydra agents that have gotten past Carol and Rhodey around the sides of the house. James does the same as he hovers in a sort of half crouch over them. Tony can only use one hand, because the other is keeping Gregory's ear pressed against his chest while protecting the other with his palm from the noise.

 

Jesus, there's a lot of these guys.

 

Tony is seriously starting to worry about their ammo and their odds when there's a flashing of light in the sky and burst of wind from overhead.

 

Several people fall out of the air and land in the yard, between them and Hydra, as a quinjet starts opening fire on the Hydra transport.

 

One of them is Captain America.

 

But there's also Spiderman, Falcon, Vision, and the Black Widow. Tony doesn't really know how he knows who these people are, but when Spiderman falls back to help defend their position as the others surge forward, he doesn't question it.

 

“Mr. Stark! I'm so glad you're alive, sir!” Spiderman says enthusiastically.

 

“Me too, kid,” he finds himself replying automatically, “Let's see if we can keep it that way.”

 

Spiderman nods and takes up another defensive position beside him, shooting webs wherever he can to help.

 

Tony only has a split second to see the fire trail out of the corner of his eye before a rocket hits the house and it explodes.

 

It's all he can do to curl around Greg as they're thrown backward by the blast.

 

It feels like it takes forever for his vision to clear and his ears to stop ringing. There's a tugging feeling behind him and he realizes it's the baby sling being pulled on. He puts his arms around Greg to support him as the fabric starts giving way, but he can tell his reaction times are off, something's wrong or maybe he's hurt badly and the glow-y healing hasn't kicked in yet... Gregory looks ok, so Tony glances behind him...but it's not James trying to untie the sling, it's a Hydra agent cutting it off him.

 

Now that he's turned, Tony can see the hypodermic needle sticking out of the meat of his own shoulder.

 

Shit.

 

James is trying his best to reach them, but he's fighting a dozen men at once, wounded from the blast himself, and being hit nearly continually with some sort of stun-gun weapons.

 

He's too far away.

 

Tony can feel his arms losing what strength they have, while the Hydra agent is doing his best to pry them open.

 

Oh god, they want _his baby_.

 

Tony _wills_ the orange glow within him to somehow combat whatever drugs he just got pumped full of.

 

Shockingly, it seems to kind of work?... Lights flicker under his skin, but he can't focus on that and defending Gregory at the same time. While Tony doesn't feel like he continues to get weaker, he doesn't instantly get back to full strength either... He fights with all the strength he _does_ have though, feebly trying to kick at the Hydra agent, bite him if an arm gets too close to his face, _anything_ to protect Greg.

 

He cries in desperate frustration, screaming, “No!” as the Hydra agent decides to just use his knife. He stabs Tony in the arm, terrifying him that the blade will miss and strike Gregory.

 

James is _almost_ there, _almost_ close enough... But Tony can feel his arm give out under the assault too soon. Tony screams, his heart breaking along with a bone as the agent forces his arm down and kneels on it to keep it out of his way.

 

But before he can rip the bundle from Tony's one remaining arm, Captain America slams into the Hydra asshole so hard that he flies a good 10 feet through the air, landing in a sprawl that denotes several key pieces of his body being broken.

 

Good.

 

“Are you ok?”

 

Tony blinks, looking up at the figure towering over him.

 

“Tony, are you ok?” Captain America asks him, and yeah, now he can tell, it definitely is that alpha from before.

 

“James,” Tony croaks out as his arm glows and heals.

 

Captain America looks over to James, who has just put down the last of the Hydra assholes swarming him.

 

Steve takes a step back from Tony.

 

James glares at Captain America, at _Steve_ , bristling as he moves past him to get to his omega. He doesn't engage the man though, instead he immediately drops to his knees beside Tony, checking him and Greg over for injuries. Poor Greg has been crying so hard that his body is shuddering and he's making little gasps with each breath as he gulps in air. Tony does his best to soothe him while clinging to James at the same time.

 

There's still some fighting going on, but it's isolated Hydra agents holding out here and there now, and the rest of the team mops them up pretty quickly. There are sirens arriving as the fighting ends, with first responders pouring out of emergency vehicles and fire fighters beginning to tackle the burning rubble.

 

Carol and Rhodey survived and are dealing with the authorities, which Tony feels like he would normally be immensely glad to see. As it is, emotions are sort of hitting an invisible barrier around him and then sliding off. He isn't sure if it's the residual drugs, or just plain old shock... But it's probably a combination of both.

 

He's not able to walk to the quinjet when the Black Widow tells them they're ready to depart.

 

James carries him and Greg together while everyone pretends they're not staring.

 

Whatever.

 

Tony really doesn't give a shit what they think. He just wants to get on the plane and fly away from here, to be finally safe for once, just, to not have to worry about their baby being shot at or killed or stolen and experimented on...

 

Oh, apparently emotions are back.

 

Tony cries against James' shoulder while his alpha gently rocks the two of them. It's not hysterically, he's not _losing_ it, _really_... He's just overwhelmed and tired and scared that they will never really be safe...

 

“Shh, I've got you, doll, I've got you,” James murmurs, keeping Tony's face pressed into his neck.

 

James doesn't promise him that it's going to be ok.

 

Tony's kind of glad that he doesn't.

 

If anyone were to offer him meaningless platitudes right now, he would probably _snap_.

 

Once they get in the air, the rest of the team mostly keeps their distance, especially after James growls, low and warning, when Steve tries to get too close.

 

“He saved us.” Tony quietly interjects, nosing briefly at his alpha's cheek in a universal “calm down” gesture.

 

James stops growling at Tony's request, but he doesn't look guilty or anything, and certainly doesn't apologize.

 

Steve doesn't try and press it though, for maybe the first time in his life. He just blinks, looking between the two of them, and then goes and sits down where he can still keep an easy line of sight on their huddled group.

 

“Um, here, Mr. Stark, we have kits for this on board,” Spiderman says, taking his mask off. He brings them a blanket and a bottle of the special electrolyte mix that's made for omegas who are dehydrated or going into distress. Tony eyes the offerings, nodding against his alpha's neck.

 

James take both items from him, wrapping the blanket loosely around Tony and Gregory in his lap. Then he opens the bottle and holds it up to Tony's lips so he can drink without letting go of their baby. Tony swallows gratefully, realizing just how thirsty he was once he starts drinking.

 

“We have some protein bars too, if you're hungry?... You know, emergency ration type stuff. Uh, and some of those instant smoothie things? Does the baby need anything? We have some wet wipes for cleaning up after a battle, but, uh, if you need to change its diaper, then... Kate, do we have any diapers?” Spiderman yells toward the cockpit.

 

An arm covered in purple spandex juts out from the co-pilot's seat and flips him off.

 

“Uh, that's a 'no', I think. I'm pretty sure,” Spiderman stammers, looking sheepish.

 

“He,” Tony says, “He's not an 'it', his name is Gregory.”

 

Spiderman nods solemnly. “It's good to meet you, Gregory. I'm Peter,” he says, reaching out and gently 'shaking' the baby's hand.

 

Steve looks _tense_ throughout their interaction, like he's ready to jump out of his seat at a moments' notice when Peter reaches toward the baby. But nothing happens. James just blinks calmly and rubs his cheek against Tony's hair.

 

Steve tries to tell himself that it’s just because Spiderman is an omega…  But he has a hard time believing it over the growl he received earlier...

 

“Food and wet wipes would be good. And another of those drinks for Tony,” James tells the young Avenger.

 

“Smoothie too, please,” Tony adds.

 

James buries his nose in Tony's hair, taking a deep breath of his scent. “You've still got some of whatever that drug was in your system... I saw you glow all over and start fighting again when the battle was going on, but maybe you missed some?...”

 

Tony nods. “I had to concentrate too much on purging it, I couldn't do both things at the same time.”

 

“How did you know you could do something like that to begin with?” Rhodey asks, because that's something they'd only theorized about before, with the specialized version of extremis that Tony had.

 

“I _didn't_ know. I just tried because I was out of options,” Tony admits.

 

Rhodey gives him an understanding smile.

 

Tony closes his eyes, able to focus now, and the orange glow sweeps under his skin again. It lasts longer this time. James frowns a little and puts his wrist on Tony's forehead.

 

“Yeah, it can bump up a dude's body temperature by a couple degrees, but it's harmless. Or at least, now it is,” Rhodey amends.

 

James gives him a questioning look.

 

“The people who first invented extremis ended up using their test subjects as IED's when they couldn't get it stabilized. Long story short, they kidnapped Pepper and injected her with it, so Tony wiped them out and stabilized the formula to save her life.”

 

Tony stops glowing a second later. His eyes are clearer when they open and he doesn't look quite so lethargic anymore either.

 

“So why do I have it then?” he asks. “Not that I'm complaining. I mean, it's saved my life a bunch of times just that I remember, and you know I don't remember much...”

 

“That's...” Rhodey makes a concentrated effort _not_ to look at Steve Rogers, “...That's a story for another time, Tones.”

 

Tony nods, going along with the deflection.

 

“So... How long is this plane ride going to be anyway?” Tony asks, accepting another drink from Peter. He downs half of it in one chug, then turns to James and nudges him to eat.

 

“Hawkeye, what's our ETA back to the States?” Rhodey asks politely.

 

“ETA five hours and 35 minutes, War Machine,” the purple spandex clad chic answers.

 

“Yikes, we're definitely going to need to do something about the diaper situation before then...” Tony sighs. Right at that moment, Gregory starts making little snuffling noises and trying to mouth at Tony's arm. “At least I can feed him now without worrying,” he adds, snuggling more purposefully into James' side as he adjusts the blanket.

 

“Uh, I don't think this is made for babies, Mr. Stark?... I'm pretty sure, in my EMT class that I took, they said to never give babies anything but formula, no matter what...” Spiderman says anxiously, holding the omega electrolyte mix.

 

Tony raises an eyebrow at him, adjusting the blanket again now that Gregory is latched on. “I don't think we'll have to worry about it,” he says, showing Peter the very obvious lump Gregory makes under his shirt as he eats.

 

Peter freezes for a second and then blushes a bright, scarlet red.

 

Tony can't help but snicker, which causes James to crack a smile too.

 

“Mr. Stark!” Peter whines, covering his face with his hands and groaning.

 

Tony glances up at James, happy to see that he's enjoying Peter's embarrassment too. James sees him look, tilting his head down to press their lips together while the smiles are still on their faces. One kiss turns into three, turns into Tony running a hand through James' hair, turns into them just resting against each other with the corners of their mouths touching...

 

And if they notice the awkward atmosphere in the air afterward, they choose to ignore it.

 

Because it's not for the reason they think.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Non-graphic animal death & also danger to a child, but no actual harm takes place to Gregory!!!


	10. Chapter 10

James and Tony work together to get Greg cleaned up as best they can with the wet wipes after he's done eating. There is a little bit of blood on him, but it's actually all Tony's.

 

There's kind of a lot of blood on Tony. He must have been wounded pretty badly in the blast. James wipes down his arms and face, but without other clothing to change into, there isn't any point in going further than that. Tony takes a turn cleaning James off too, giving extra care to getting all the grooves and crevasses in his metal arm. They know from experience that James' healing factor will take care of his injuries pretty quickly, just not _ orange glow _ quickly, so all Tony does is make sure they're free of any particles or debris.

 

Steve watches them out of the corner of his eye, moving in sync, taking care of each other, operating with an obvious familiarity... It's one thing to know they were both missing... But Bucky had been captured by Hydra over a month before Tony disappeared. There was no reason to think they'd been together this entire time...

 

But it's obvious that they had indeed been  _ together _ , in every possible way.

 

God, what a mess...

 

“Ok,” Rhodey says to the couple once they're done, “We  _ were _ going to take a few days to get you caught up to speed about your lives before bringing you back, but that's no longer an option. Our best bet now is to head straight for Stark Tower and land there, bypassing any press or public for the time being. Under no circumstances should either of you say  _ anything _ to a member of the press, no matter how harmless their question sounds, got it?” Rhodey instructs them.

 

They both nod.

 

“You'll basically need to stay isolated for a little while, until you have good grasps on who you are. Whether that's from learning about yourselves or actually remembering, we'll see...” Rhodey says, holding on to hope.

 

James glances down at Tony, who's still in his lap. Tony looks hesitant. And sleepy. But the hesitance is what concerns James the most.

 

“This Stark Tower... Is it a safe place? And I mean, like, the  _ safe from Hydra _ kind of safe, not 'oh we've got a tall fence around it', safe...” Tony asks seriously.

 

Rhodey grins from ear to ear. “Tones, Stark Tower is one of the safest, most secure places on the planet. The  _ President _ wishes he was living in a building that secure.”

 

Tony nods slowly, glancing up at James.

 

“Sounds like its got potential...” his alpha says, “It's your call, doll.”

 

“Ok, we'll try it out then,” Tony decides, shifting Greg's position in his arms. “Is that where we lived before?” he asks Rhodey.

 

“You did,” Rhodey nods, glossing over his pronoun usage.

 

Tony nods, and yawns, curling up closer to James' chest. “Ok, now that that's settled, it's nap time. Greg-a-saurus here has the right idea,” he mumbles as his eyes droop, “I only got like four hours of sleep last night.”

 

“You guys got another blanket on this rig?” James asks.

 

Peter leaps up to get him another one.

 

James fluffs it a bit, rubbing it against his neck to get his scent on it, and then makes it into a little nest for Gregory to lay on. Tony sets him in it gently, never really taking his hand off the boy as he maneuvers around so that he's laying on the ground with his back to the wall. He pulls Gregory's bundle close against his chest as James spreads out the other blanket over the two of them.

 

“Sleep tight, doll, I'll stand guard,” he says, placing a kiss each on Gregory and Tony's foreheads.

 

“You sure you're not tired?” Tony yawns, “Rhodey-bear and Spiderling won't let anything happen to us...”

 

“I know, but my instincts are too wound up to nod off right now anyway. You sleep, babe. It'll probably do me good to see you restin' with Greg,” James answers.

 

Tony smiles at him, tipping his face up in a wordless request for one more kiss, which James obliges. Then the alpha turns around and sits directly in front of them, facing the rest of the passengers in a silent order to stay away from his sleeping mate and pup.

 

It's a quiet rest of the plane ride.

 

He has to improvise a couple diaper changes, but James figures it out. When Tony wakes up and sees James' undershirt wrapped around Greg's butt, he laughs, but gives his alpha points for creativity.

 

Tony has apparently dreamed about Spiderman falling in a river, Natalie Rushman stabbing him in the neck, and Steve... He pauses when he gets to that part, but goes ahead and relays how he dreamed of Steve telling him he knew men with none of what Tony had who were worth ten of him.

 

“It's funny, you... You didn't say anything about who, but I got the strangest feeling that you meant James?... Is that what we were talking about? Was...was that real?” Tony asks, not upset, but just incredulous.

 

Steve's eyes get wide, because he really hadn't understood just how transparent he was, right from the start... “Uh, yeah... I mean, I was thinking of him, when I said that... But I didn't actually know anything about you when I made that comparison...” Steve trails off, looking supremely uncomfortable.

 

Tony just nods.

 

James says nothing.

  
  
  


When they land in New York they've gone back in time and it's 1am again, because the quinjet is  _ fast _ and time zones are fucked up. Steve looks like he desperately wants to get off the plane with them... But a pointed handshake and speech from Carol, thanking him for his assistance up until now, keeps him back.

 

The first thing Colonel Rhodes does is explain that Pepper won't be able to join them for a few more days since she's at a super important conference in Japan. She knows that unless Tony gets his full memory back, running SI still falls solely on her shoulders.

 

Next, Rhodey introduces Tony and James to Friday. Once they get done gaping at the accommodations, that is.

 

“With your permission, Boss, I'd like to do a full body scan on all three of you,” She asks politely after the pleasantries are exchanged.

 

“Oh, uh, I guess... It won't hurt, right?” Tony asks, looking down at Gregory.

 

“No, Boss, not at all. It will be near undetectable, but the benefits will be four-fold,” she explains, “First, to establish that you are indeed Anthony Edward Stark, second, that the child does indeed carry yours and Sargent Barnes' genetic code, third, to store the readings of the child into my data banks, and fourth, to make sure you do not harbor any hidden trackers placed by Hydra.”

 

“That sounds like a pretty good idea, Tony. I know it would ease my mind,” James offers his input.

 

Tony smiles at him, rocking Gregory back and forth in his arms. “Yeah, mine too... So, how do we do this, Friday? Do we just need to hold still, or what?”

 

“Actually, for this particular level of scanning you will need to proceed down to the private medical quarters where I have the most delicate sensors,” she tells them.

 

“Can we shower first?” Tony asks, pinching his bloody shirt and pulling it away from him, “Or is this identity verification thing, like, top priority?”

 

“It's him, Fri,” Rhodey speaks up, “I'll vouch for him long enough to get cleaned up. We've had a messy night.”

 

“Of course, Colonel Rhodes. Would you like to show them to their room, or should I?”

 

Rhodey takes them down a hallway to the biggest master bedroom Tony has ever seen.

 

“Huh. I sleep here?” he asks, looking around at the distinct lack of personality.

 

“On occasion,” Friday tells him.

 

He can't tell for sure if she's being witty or completely truthful... It will probably take some time to get to know her moods...again...

 

“Shower's in here, your clothes are still in the closet,” Rhodey gives them the rundown. “They set up a room for the baby down the hall, which should be pretty much fully stocked... Carol and I will go clean up too, then meet you in medical afterward. Unless you need anything else?”

 

“Not right now, Platypus, go clean up. And thanks again,” Tony says, sending him off.

 

Rhodey nods, heading to his own permanent guest suite.

 

Tony and James get Gregory washed up in the bathroom sink, and James pokes around until he finds the “baby room”, grabbing some changing supplies and a onesie from it while Tony's drying their baby off. They take turns with their own showers, since they're both still nervous about leaving Greg alone. It usually takes them a while to come back down from the “instinct high” after a run in with Hydra.

 

When Tony's dressing, he realizes that there are no clothes in his room that would fit James.

 

He pushes aside the conclusion that brings up.

 

Tony hunts around as best he can, laying out a pair of sleep pants that will be far too short for his alpha and the largest t-shirt he can find, knowing James won’t care about the logo.

 

“If I may, Boss?” Friday speaks up, “Would you like me to order some clothes for Sergeant Barnes?”

 

“Yeah? Would you? I... I guess you have a card on file, or something?” Tony answers.

 

“Something like that, yes, Boss...”

 

“Can we make sure there's plenty of food on hand too then? Like enough to feed a super soldier enough? I mean, I'm assuming delivery is a thing, I don't exactly think walking down to the corner store is an option right now anyway, so...”

 

“Of course, Boss.”

 

“Thanks, Friday.”

  
  
  


The three of them meet Rhodey after that, and stand around in medical for a while as Friday takes her readings. She declares beyond a shadow of a doubt that Tony is her 'Boss' and begins the process of setting up Gregory as his son and heir. James she takes the longest time on, but eventually announces that he is indeed Gregory's father, and is free of trackers just like Tony.

 

It makes them both breathe a sigh of relief.

 

After that, Tony demands to be brought up to speed, or rather,  _ back _ up to speed, about all the security measures at the tower. Friday hesitates for just a fraction of a second, but it's not enough for Tony to notice in his current state.

 

Rhodey glances from James over to Friday's nearest sensor and gives an imperceptible nod.

 

It's nearly daylight out by the time they're done. Tony declares their defenses  _ adequate _ . He already has a few ideas for augmenting things to better account for the baby.

 

They can wait for now though, at least long enough to take a cat nap for the rest of the morning in an attempt to beat the jet lag. Friday directs them back to Tony's bedroom and the hastily set up nursery for Gregory that he bypassed earlier. James picks up the crib out of it, moving it into their bedroom without being asked. Tony gives him a kiss and scents him, thankful that his alpha is so on the same page with him.

 

“Maybe once things have settled down, we can try moving it back. You know, just for privacy,” James says, hugging Tony and Greg both at once. “But for now, I don't think I could sleep at all if he wasn't in the same room... If I couldn't hear him breathin' and know that...” James shakes his head as tears begin to well up in his eyes.

 

Tony holds Greg up for James to take if he wants, knowing his alpha likes to keep their son tucked close to his neck when he carries him. James gives his omega a watery smile, taking Greg reverently and nuzzling against him before depositing him high on his chest. Gregory's little hand pats against James' collarbone as he makes babbling noises into his father's shirt.

 

“I almost lost you both, Tony... God, I was so scared when that rocket exploded. Neither of you were movin', and there was so much blood... Even once I saw you start to glow, I was still so worried that he hadn't survived...” James confesses.

 

Tony holds him tight, reassuring him that they're fine, they survived.

 

“I thought I understood what fear was, after you got shot that time in Venezuela,” James whispers into Tony's hair, “...I didn't understand.”

 

“I know what you mean, James. I didn't understand either...”

 

“I love you both so much, Tony.”

 

“We love you too, James, more than anything.”

 

 

 

 


	11. Chapter 11

When they wake up again after their cat nap, it's approaching noon.

 

“Ugh, all this is going to mess up your progress on sleeping through the night, isn't it?” Tony complains to Gregory as he picks him up out of the crib, bringing him back to bed so they can all laze around a little together.  He's remembered more of Rhodey, or, well,  _ dreamed _ of more of Rhodey, during their nap. He also dreamed about the tower, and some sort of contraption being built on its roof that opened a portal to space...

 

“You're thinkin' awful hard...” James says, smoothing a thumb over the crease in Tony's brow.

 

“I think I might have fought off an alien invasion?” Tony says.

 

James' eyebrows go up.

 

“I've heard about that... When the Avengers were formed to help Iron Man defeat the Chitauri.”

 

“Hm, I think the Avengers were already in the works?... Maybe just not public?... I remember SHIELD being super involved in all that somehow, but, not all the finer details...” Tony replies.

 

“Well, I guess what I know about it is just from the average person's perspective. You can gain a lot of intel just talkin' to people,” James tells him.

 

“Yeah? And they think the Avengers were my backup singers?” Tony teases.

 

“Something like that, yeah. You know you're always the main show, doll,” James leans over, giving him a kiss.

 

Tony smiles happily into it, letting as much stress as he can fall away while they make out on the bed. They're safer than they've ever been, clean and rested and-

 

James' stomach gives a little gurgle of a growl.

 

Tony breaks off the kiss, sitting up right away and reaching for Gregory again. “And that's lunch time, kiddo!” he says, swinging the boy a little so that he squeals happily. “Come on Daddy,” Tony gives James a pointed look, “It's time to  _ eat _ .”

 

James gets up without a fuss, not saying anything, but his cheeks are just the tiniest bit pink.

 

“Let's see what our gracious AI overlord has on the menu,” Tony says as he herds them all out of the room.

 

“We have a wide variety of foods on hand, as requested, Boss,” Friday informs him.

 

“Really? Already? That was fast. Good job, Fri,” Tony says, smiling up at one of her sensors.

 

“You are most welcome, Boss. It's good to have you back.”

 

Tony just smiles and nods. He has a feeling that it  _ will _ be good to be back, once he gets a better grasp on life here. But he's not quite there yet.

 

Lunch is a pile of grilled cheese, tomato soup, and some pre-made salads that Tony thinks look pretty good. And then it's also yogurt and fruit, and a ready-to-cook stir fry that Tony finds in the freezer. And some chips. And some protein infused granola bars.

 

“Wow, it's going to take some getting used to, cooking enough at once for your bottomless pit of a stomach,” Tony sighs as he sits to feed Gregory.

 

“You don't have to do all this all the time, Tony. I can feed myself too, you know,” James reminds him.

 

“I know... We could take turns cooking, I guess? It's not like you have to go find a job or anything,” Tony says, “In fact, it's  _ kind of _ your full time job now to take care of us, so…  Maybe you should be doing  _ all  _ the cooking...”

 

James grins, leaning into Tony's space to scent him.  “That’s fine with me. Certainly beats driving a forklift.”

 

“Mm, that's good,” Tony mumbles, rubbing against his alpha's neck.

 

“Excuse me, Boss, but Colonel Rhodes asked me to inform you that he's on his way up.”

 

“Thanks Friday,” Tony says as James sits back in his own seat. There's nothing scandalous about a mated, bonded pair scenting each other in the comfort of their own home. But Tony and James both have a feeling that Rhodey is going to be here to  _ talk _ .

 

And he does not let them down.

 

“Ok, my young padawans, it's time for a crash course in Tony Stark,” he announces as soon as he gets off the elevator.

 

Tony and James both nod, knowing they have to get down to business here.

 

“Alright,” Rhodey says, clapping his hands together, “Lesson one of any Tony Stark story starts with this: Howard was an asshole.”

 

Rhodey isn't going to pull his punches. He hates to have to be the one to do this, but he certainly isn't going to foist it off on Pepper or Friday... There's no telling how this wiped-clean version of Tony is going to react to hearing the high, and low, points of his life... And as much as he wishes he could gloss over the elephant in the room, Rhodey  _ will not _ be that asshole who lies to Tony because the truth is uncomfortable. He's no psychology major, but he does know that the phrase “Don't shoot the messenger” exists for a reason...

 

“Ok, question,” Tony says, raising his free arm that isn't propping up Gregory, “Who's Howard?”

 

Rhodey sighs.

 

It's going to be a long afternoon.

 

Even with Friday providing visual support, they only get about halfway through Tony's life before it's time for dinner. Which Tony is insistent on stopping for. That's fine with Rhodey, it's just going to take some time for him to get used to  _ Tony Stark _ being the one to make sure everyone else eats...

 

“So, you remembered more last night?” Rhodey asks while they're perusing take out menus.

 

“Yeah, some more about you, and the Chitauri invasion,” Tony nods, “The parts involving the tower specifically.”

 

“Boss? I hate to interrupt, but, Steve Rogers is requesting entry to the tower,” Friday says, like she's hesitant to even pass the message on, “He has apparently brought a peace offering in the form of pizza.”

 

James huffs, crossing his arms over his chest.

 

Tony bites his lip. “I don't know... Maybe, it might do you good to be around him?” Tony says to James gently. He knows that alphas with their hackles up can be tough to reason with sometimes, but James is actually extraordinarily level headed.

 

“He attacked you and Gregory. I can't just let that go,” James tells him, frowning.

 

“I know, and I'm not saying you  _ should _ ... But just that maybe, since he did  _ save _ me and Gregory too, it might be worth giving him a chance. Just one, of course. I mean, if he even blinks at me funny, feel free to sock him in his all-american face, I won't stop you,” Tony starts to ramble a little, but he brings it back around. “The thing is though... You haven't been remembering anything?... And, as much as the situation is tense, he was your best friend before all this, so, since being around my BFF is helping me so much, it should help you the same way, right?”

 

James mulls it over for a moment, looking conflicted. Then he stands, his fists clenching in determination.

 

“I'll go talk to him first before he's allowed in the same room with you two. If he really was my best friend, then I've got some  _ questions _ for him about why the hell he'd break into our house.”

 

“That's fair,” Tony agrees, “Oh, and be sure and ask him what pizza toppings he got too, because you better believe I will be judging him on that.  _ So hard _ .” Tony lifts his nose haughtily.

 

James grins, stealing a quick kiss before he strides over to the elevator.

 

As he descends, Friday tells him that she can direct Mr. Rogers to meet him in an unused conference room instead of the lobby, if he would like.

 

“Yeah, that's a good idea. I don't want anyone else to get hurt if this goes bad,” James sighs. “Thanks for lookin' out, Friday.”

 

“...You are welcome, Sergeant Barnes.”

 

Steve is already in the conference room when James gets there. A stack of pizza boxes is resting on the empty conference table. James can see Steve's eyes dart behind him as he enters, looking for other people following. If he's disappointed by James being alone, he doesn't show it.

 

“It's good to see you, Bucky,” Steve says sincerely, “I wasn't sure if I'd be allowed to...”

 

“Well, Tony said I should at least give you a chance. But I'm just warning you now, it's only going to be  _ one _ .”

 

Steve blinks, as if he's having a hard time absorbing the information.

 

James isn't sure what's so difficult to understand about it...

 

“Ok,” Steve finally nods, “That's fine. I, just wanted to talk to you, make sure you were doing alright, Buck.”

 

“I'm doing great as long as my family's safe,” James huffs, continuing to be standoffish.

 

Steve looks at him like he's trying to absorb every minute detail, weighing and calculating and judging. A lesser man would fidget under that gaze, but James just blinks passively, not giving a shit what Steve thinks he sees.

 

“You don't remember me at all, do you?... Not even a little bit.”

 

“No,” James admits, “I haven't remembered anything. Tony's has been coming back to him some, you saw on the 'jet, but it's mostly as dreams. I haven't had anything though...”

 

Steve frowns.

 

“Last time, you started remembering on your own... Well, sort of...”

 

James raises an eyebrow at him.

 

“Hydra had you brainwashed, Buck. They sent you to kill me, but I discovered who you were in the process. I was able to jog your memory enough that you stopped attacking me, but then you ran off while the dust was still settling... When I found you again a couple years later, you had remembered all kinds of stuff on your own. You had been writing it down in a little book. Which, well, it got destroyed, but, the point is, I'd have thought at least one memory would have surfaced by now...” Steve says worriedly.

 

“Well, maybe Hydra upgraded their mind wiping tech,” James sighs, scrubbing a hand over his face.

 

Steve takes a step toward him, but James tenses immediately.

 

“It's ok, I'm not going to hurt you, Bucky. I'm with you until the end of the line,” Steve says.

 

James glares at him.

 

“Words don't mean shit, Steve, actions do. You can't count on me being nice to you for old time's sake when I don't remember the old times.”

 

“I'm not,” Steve starts to say.

 

“You attacked my mate and our two week old baby Steve,” James says flatly.

 

“I didn't  _ attack _ them,” Steve replies back, but it's weak, and he knows it.

 

“You  _ barged _ into our house when Tony had already told you to leave. You scared the shit out of an omega who'd just given birth while they were holding their baby right there in their arms. I thought you were  _ Hydra _ , Steve,” James calls him out. “How is that 'ok' just because we knew each other before? It ain't, that's what. You can't do the same things a bad guy would and still call yourself a good guy.”

 

Steve's eyes get wide, and he physically stumbles a step back, like Bucky's words have punched him in the gut.

 

“And if I was the kind of asshole before who would have been ok with what you did because you were my friend, then maybe I don't  _ want _ to remember,” James adds, shaking his head.

 

“No, it's not you,” Steve says quickly, trying to tamp down on his emotions, but it doesn't work very well, “I... I was wrong to do what I did in Lithuania, and I'd take it back, if I could,” he says dejectedly. “You wouldn't have approved of that, even if you'd remembered me... I just... I've lost you too many times, Buck, I kind of have a history of not thinking right, when it comes to protecting you...”

 

“I don't need your protection,” James sniffs, crossing his arms.

 

“No offense, Bucky, but with the number of times you've been captured by Hydra, you kind of do...” Steve tries to joke halfheartedly.

 

“No offense, Steve, but if I've really been captured that many times, maybe it's time to switch things up anyway, cause it sounds like you're doing a shit job,” James counters.

 

Steve's face crumbles. His shoulders hunch in as he looks down at the ground. Tears start falling, which he wipes at, but it's like the floodgates have opened now and there's no stopping them.

 

Jeez, he didn't mean to make the big idiot start crying...

 

James loses some of the defensiveness in his stance.

 

Steve keeps crying.

 

James hesitantly steps forward, hoping he isn't about to fall victim to some overly elaborate ploy to get him to lower his guard.

 

“Come on, sit down, Steve, before you hurt yourself,” he says, directing the other alpha to one of the chairs around the conference table.

 

“I'm sorry,” Steve says, trying to swallow down his tears as they sit, “I'm so sorry.”

 

“For what?” James prompts him, keeping his tone even.

 

Steve dries his eyes some more, then looks up at his best friend. He knows how strong James is, how many times he's fought his way back from things that would destroy even other super powered beings... But this thing with Tony, it might be what finally breaks him. Because Steve knows that even as grateful as he was to be saved, Bucky never approved of what Steve had done to save him...had done to Tony.

 

“Tony,” Steve says, admitting it out loud for the first time, “I'm sorry, for everything that's happened- I'm sorry for what I did to Tony.”

 

James nods, hearing the only answer he was going to accept.

 

“I should never have come here,” Steve realizes suddenly, blinking back further tears with his new found realization.

 

“Probably not,” James agrees, “At least, not so soon...”

 

Steve nods, taking in Bucky's slightly annoyed face one more time. “I'll go. I should get going. Just, if you do remember anything... Well, Friday knows where to find me, I'm sure,” Steve says, standing up. “I'll be around, if you need me.”

 

James nods, kind of glad that the issue of Steve being allowed to see Tony and Gregory got side stepped.

 

“Keep the pizza, it is a peace offering, after all,” Steve says, squaring his shoulders on his way out.

 

“Tony said he's going to judge you on your topping choice,” James tells him casually, just to see how he reacts.

 

Steve smiles sadly, giving a small, self deprecating laugh as he says, “I should be so lucky...” before he leaves.

  
  


Ok... So, that encounter wasn't exactly what he'd pictured... James supposed it could have gone a lot worse though... A  _ whole lot _ worse...

 

He picks up the pizzas and takes them back to his mate.

  
  
  


 

 


	12. Chapter 12

 

 

That night, Tony dreams. He dreams like his life is flashing before his eyes. The things Rhodey explained to them, it's like all he needed was a little push, a little nudge in the right direction, and suddenly his brain is happy to supply years worth of data that he was missing. Not his entire life, but damn close.

 

The last thing he remembers before waking up in the morning is falling out of a wormhole. Steve Roger's voice panting with a tired, “We won,” is a strange juxtaposition against the very first memory he got back. 

 

He's obviously still missing a lot then. 

 

Having watched the footage from James' little meet and greet with Captain America last night makes him practically burn with curiosity now... But try as he might, it seems like he has to be asleep for his brain to be willing to give up any new info.

 

And James still hasn't remembered anything.

 

“Friday, are you able to do a brain scan?” Tony asks as he takes James and Gregory down to the workshop to introduce them to the bots.

 

“In the elevator? To a certain degree... There is equipment within the lab that could perform any scan you desire though, Boss.”

 

“Thanks, Fri. I think we should look into this whole brainwave thing. It seems like I need a sleep cycle for my head to be able to start accessing the memories that get jogged during the day. I mean, I'm certainly glad that it's working, but I'd still like to know  _ why _ ,” Tony says, glancing at his alpha out of the corner of his eye.

 

“Is it only stuff Rhodey talked about, or is it everything?” James asks.

 

“At first it was only snippets, but last night it was like the 'All Tony All the Time' channel. I'm pretty sure it's everything,” Tony says, “It doesn't  _ feel _ like anything's missing... At least up until the battle of New York.  Which is farther than we talked about last night.”

 

“Huh. So you might be back to yourself after one more night's sleep...” James supposes.

 

“Uh, maybe... Yeah, it's looking like it. Honestly, I'm mostly interested in doing the scans so that we can compare brainwaves. There's got to be something going on that's keeping you from getting yours back,” Tony tells him.

 

James nods along, but he doesn't give any indication that he's upset by his lack of progress.

  
  
  


The bots love James. Tony knew that they would, but it's heartening to see things like DUM-E insisting on shaking James' metal hand, then whirring and chirping about it excitedly for the next 10 minutes.

 

Gregory they are much more hesitant about, mostly because of the very sincere way Tony introduces them and explains how low an infant's tolerances are. U very slowly and very gently pats Gregory's tummy, which makes the boy coo and gurgle a bit. DUM-E takes this as an attempt at communication and beeps back, which makes Greg laugh... And no, Tony is very much  _ not _ getting misty-eyed watching them all interact, thank you very much. It's just really dusty in the workshop, that's all.

 

“Alright, alright, I hate to break up your little gossip session, but we should get those scans done,” Tony announces, discretely wiping at his eyes.

 

Tony goes first, handing their son off to James while his readings are taken. Then James hands him back while it's his turn. 

 

The readings are inconclusive, even when compared to Tony's that where on file from before.

 

“Hmm, maybe I need to sleep down in the lab...” Tony mutters.

 

“That won't actually be necessary, Boss. Your bedroom now contains adequate sensors for me to be able to monitor your brainwave activity from there,” Friday informs him.

 

“Well that's handy...”

 

“You do like to be prepared.”

 

“Yeah, I can see that,” Tony agrees, rubbing briefly at his forehead as he thinks about aliens pouring from the sky.

 

The workshop doors slide open as Rhodey walks in.

 

“I thought I might find you down here. How are you doing, Tones?”

 

“Eh, as good as can be expected. I remembered everything up to the battle of New York last night, so, that's a thing,” he shrugs.

 

“Like,  _ everything _ everything?” Rhodey asks.

 

“Yeah, as far as I can tell. It doesn't feel like there's any gaps up until that point. I have a few spotty things after that, but they're few and far between,” Tony answers.

 

“I wonder if it's just accelerating on it's own, or if the rundown last night helped knock things loose...” Rhodey says.

 

“We might never know. Which frustrates me, but, honestly, I'm just glad to  _ be _ remembering,” Tony says, swinging The Gregster™ around to make him laugh.  He has to admit, he doesn’t like remembering all the reasons he always thought he’d be a horrible parent before…  But if nothing else, spending a portion of his life on the run with James has at least taught an old dog that he can still learn new tricks…  And when Greg’s laughing in his arms, it’s impossible to feel like he’s actively doing anything wrong in raising him, you know, at the moment…  Thank god he has James...

 

Rhodey gives him a discerning look, which Tony catches the end of as he's swinging Greg around.

 

“What's up, sour-patch?” he asks, seeing the shift in his best friend’s mood.

 

“Tony... We still need to go over the last few years... And you might want to sit down for this...”

 

Tony lets out a controlled sigh, holding Rhodey's gaze seriously. “That bad, huh?”

 

“Yeah, it's that bad, unfortunately.”

 

With a nod, Tony goes and sits down on the ratty old couch that has always lived in his labs. James joins him, putting an arm over his shoulder as they scoot together as closely as possible. He knows there's some big falling out that happened, so he braces himself, taking a deep breath and telling Rhodey, “Ok, I'm ready.”

 

Rhodey doesn't believe that, but he pushes on anyway.

 

Tony nods along through the happenings of Project Insight, which Rhodey has opted to include because of their relevance to them as a couple. James looks incredibly uncomfortable to hear confirmation that he was a brainwashed tool of Hydra, but Tony burrows into his side, scenting him and holding him and their baby close.

 

“Would have rather been a spy...” James says sadly.

 

“I'm so sorry,” Tony comforts him, keeping James close for a good few minutes. Eventually they do pull apart though, and motion for Rhodey to go on.

 

Tony winces, frowns, and gets contemplative himself as Rhodey talks about Ultron and JARVIS and the mind stone.

 

By the time he gets to the Accords, Rhodey can see that Tony thinks he has an inkling about what they fought over.

 

He is wrong.

 

Thankfully Rhodey doesn't have to give him the full play by play of what went down in Siberia, just the major plot points. He knows Tony has remembered most of that fight, even if he didn't know before this what had caused it.

 

Rhodey makes sure not to stop there, though. He talks about Tony healing with extremis and working to amend the Accords afterward, about James getting treatment in Wakanda and having the triggers removed. He talks about leg bracers and toasting marshmallows with bare hands and going to Spiderman's high school graduation.

 

Tony and James both look kind of pale by the time Rhodey tells them about conditional pardons and playing nice and public opinion.

 

“And then, less than a year after those pardons were issued, Hydra came out of the woodwork  _ again _ and managed to recapture James,” Rhodey sighs, “Steve originally enlisted Wakanda's help in searching for him, but they're still new to the world stage and their contacts are limited. Plus, James had specifically told them that if it was mandatory for there to be any trackers in the arm they offered, he'd have to respectfully decline... Then about a month after that, Tony went missing. We didn't know James had even been captured ourselves until Steve came here, asking for help in looking for him, trying to play the 'everyone could be affected by this' card if James were to get brainwashed again. But Pepper told him to go fuck himself.”

 

Tony bursts out laughing suddenly at the thought of it.

 

James raises an eyebrow, but he doesn't look offended by Tony's new found levity.

 

“I'm  _ pretty _ sure her decision was based more off the fact that she didn't want to take SI resources away from the search for Tony than that she let her anger get away from her... But it probably was at least a little cathartic to get to tell that asshole off too,” Rhodey admits with a grin.

 

“Oh my god, I'm going to give her a raise,” Tony says delightfully, “Not that I'd ever wish you left in the hands of Hydra, babe, but, wow, I wish I could have seen the look on Steve's face,” Tony shakes his head.

 

Helpfully, Friday brings up a recording from Miss Potts' office without being asked.

 

“Frankly,  _ Mr _ . Rogers, if you think I or Stark Industries are going to lift a finger to help  _ you _ when  _ Tony's _ missing? You can go fuck yourself. This meeting is over.”

 

Pepper buzzes for security from her desk.

 

The Steve in the recording tilts his chin up and raises his shoulders back at the same time he starts to open his mouth.

 

“Just so you know, Mr. Rogers, since we're all  _ well _ aware that you have a history of not thinking things through, if you resist your removal from this premises, that  _ will _ be an assault charge. Which violates your parole as part of the pardons. And good luck searching for your precious Bucky while you're doped up on so much Ketamine that you think your cell floor is made of jello.”

 

Four SI security guards enter the door behind Steve. 

 

He clenches his jaw, but goes with them quietly.

 

The recording stops, vanishing from the air in front of them.

 

Tony shakes his head in disbelief, but, at the same time, he  _ remembers _ that he didn't give her the nickname 'Pepper' for nothing.

 

“Wow, she's sure got a backbone on her,” James comments, smiling at her performance as well, despite the heavy topic.

 

“True. Plus she's used to dealing with alphas who think they know best and are trying to lord it over her,” Tony rolls his eyes. The mood is already settling though, now that they've caught up to Tony's disappearance and are having a chance to digest the information. To be frank, Tony actually isn't looking forward to dreaming tonight...

 

James reaches out and takes his hand, rubbing his thumb over Tony's knuckles. He stares at their hands instead of looking Tony in the eye.

 

“Hey,” Tony says softly, nudging him with his nose, “We're ok.”

 

“Are we?...” James asks, hesitant.

 

Tony lets go of James' hand and takes a gentle hold of his chin, moving his head to gaze purposefully on Gregory, and then up so that they're looking at each other. “We are. Or at the very least, we will be. I love you, James. And I already decided before we left Czechia that I wasn't going to let the past get in the way of our future, no matter what either of us remembered or didn't,” Tony tells him. He feels a little exposed, baring his heart like this, but he and James have been communicating so openly the whole time they've been together, he doesn't want to get out of that habit. Especially now when they need it the most.

 

“Ok,” James sighs heavily, giving Tony a sad smile, “I ain't sure I'm worth all the effort it will take to forgive that... But if you want to try, I won't stop you,” he says, glancing down at Gregory. “I love you too, doll... I just hope it's enough, after you remember all this tomorrow...”

 

“You're always enough, James,” Tony assures him, giving him a kiss.

 

“I'd understand, you know, if you were mad at me,” James offers, looking at Tony's face intently for any giveaway that he is.

 

Tony shakes his head. “If anything, I'm mad at Hydra for doing that to you, and at Steve for lying. Continuing to blame you for killing them would be like blaming a car for being 'parked wrong' when you hit it. It wasn't your fault, babe.”

 

James just nods, wanting to believe him, but not sure he should.

  
  
  
  
  


The next morning, Tony wakes up in tears.

 

He covers his mouth with his hands, drawing in a shaky breath.

 

James isn't sure what to do, if he should hold him or give him space, or even touch him at all, depending on what he's feeling...

 

After a moment though, Tony looks over at him, just staring and staring with too many emotions to name in his eyes.

 

“So you remember everything now?” James asks, wanting to say something, but not knowing what.

 

Tony nods, closing his eyes as if in defeat.

 

“Do... What do you need?” James asks him, prepared to give anything.  _ Do _ anything.

 

It takes a minute, but when Tony finally opens his eyes again, determination has settled over his tear stained face.

 

“I need Princess Shuri.”

  
  
  


 

 


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spot my casually salty reuse/repurposing of some of IW’s fucked up rhetoric/lines… No spoilers though, so don’t worry. If you haven’t seen the movie you’ll never even notice the reference :)

 

 

Princess Shuri says she can be in New York that afternoon, agreeing that it's too risky for James and Tony and the baby to travel long distances in their current conditions, all things considered.

 

“So. Before she gets here, I'm going to go round up our errant Captain,” Tony announces.

 

James raises an eyebrow. “Why?”

 

“Because there's a good chance you're going to need him after you get your memory back,” Tony says casually, as if it's no big deal.

 

“Ok... But why _you_? Couldn't you send Colonel Rhodes? Or just give him a call?” James asks, frowning.

 

“I could, but I want a chance to get a read on him _as myself_ ,” Tony explains, handing Gregory over to his father.

 

James takes him, bouncing the boy a few times as he thinks. “You accepted his food offering...and now you're going to 'get a read' on this alpha... Sounds to me like you're thinking of making him pack...”

 

“Steve Rogers is the closest thing you'll ever have to a brother. He and I _were_ part of the same working-pack before... I need to see if there's anything left of that that can be salvaged, or if we're better off staying estranged,” Tony says as the Ironman suit assembles around him. “Trust me, this needs doing, James. I'll be back before Greg needs feeding again.”

 

The last part comes out modulated as the helmet slides over his face.

 

“Ok, doll, we'll be here when you get back,” James nods.

 

Tony blows him a kiss with the gauntlet, then takes to the air as Friday engages stealth mode.

  
  


Like Steve said, Friday knows right where to find him. It helps that he's not hiding, and purposefully stayed within the city to be close to Bucky.

 

When the suit lands in front of the house he's staying at, Steve opens the door before Tony has to knock.

 

“Hey, Tony,” Steve greets him, his tone melancholy as if he's not been looking forward to this, “Come on in.”

 

Tony takes a step forward, closing the door behind him, and just stares at Steve for a minute.

 

Steve fidgets.

 

“Did you mean it, when you apologized?” Tony asks, the speakers on the suit making his voice sound steadier than it is. “With the pizza and the crying and all that? Did you mean for everything, or just Lithuania?”

 

“Everything,” Steve says quietly, “I'm sorry for everything I did to you, Tony. I couldn't see a way to get what I wanted while telling you the truth, so I decided there must not _be_ one... I was a coward, and selfish enough that I didn't balk at the possibility of trading your life for his in that fight.”

 

“And how's that been working out for you?” Tony can't resist asking snidely.

 

“By the end of all this? I think I'll have lost you both...” Steve closes his eyes against the pain.

 

With a sigh, Tony steps out of the suit.

 

Steve blinks at him, waiting for Tony to say something.

 

“Princess Shuri is coming to the tower to help James... _Bucky_ , with the triggers again,” Tony tells him.

 

“I thought they were removed?” Steve asks, instantly worried.

 

“They were. The original ones, anyway. But thankfully for James and unfortunately for Hydra, I speak Russian. And they had to keep us in the same cell because it was the only one reinforced enough to contain us,” Tony tells him, waving his fingers at Steve as they glow extremis orange. “I could hear all about the progress they were making on locking his memories behind a trigger. They wanted to be successful with that before they replanted the behavioral ones, so that there wouldn't be any risk of his programming being overcome by someone he knew again.”

 

Steve looks queasy at the very thought of it.

 

“You make it sound like the two of you escaped before they had a chance to do the behavioral ones though...”

 

“Yeah, well, you know me, I've got a reputation to maintain as one of the world's most unruly prisoners,” Tony says sadly, rubbing at his face. “So, ok, here's the deal. They decided to wipe my mind too, rather than deal with me anymore. So they stuck me in while they still had the machine up and running from using it on James. He killed everyone and broke me out of it before they had a chance to implant the memory trigger though. That's why mine have been coming back on their own and his haven't.”

 

“And if Princess Shuri could remove the previous triggers, she should be able to remove these too,” Steve says.

 

“Exactly. You should start making your way to the tower now, Cap, so you can be there when she starts,” Tony tells him, taking a step back and letting the suit fold around him once more.

 

“You want me to be there?” Steve asks, slightly surprised.

 

“I have a feeling we're going to need you there,” Tony admits as he's heading out the door, engaging stealth mode again.

 

“Why's that?”

 

“Because the moment he remembers everything he's done, he's going to want to run,” Tony says evenly, “No matter how much I tell him it's ok.”

 

Steve stands there in his doorway, as if waiting for a more thorough explanation.

 

He doesn't get one.

 

Ironman turns virtually invisible and blasts off into the sky, leaving a pit of anxiousness in Steve Roger's stomach.

 

But he'll be damned if he lets either one of them down this time.

  
  
  


Tony asks Rhodey to be there as well, so that someone trusted can hold Greg-y-pooh while Tony has his hands full. And he has no doubt that his hands will be full.

 

James looks nervous, despite Tony's best efforts. He keeps a hand on his mate at all times as Princess Shuri explains the process and what to expect. James nods along, quiet and hardly speaking a word.

 

“You sure there isn't something you want to tell me, doll, before we go through with this?” James asks Tony softly after the Princess is done preparing them.

 

Tony takes in a sharp breath.

 

“Cause I'd rather hear it from you first, if it's bad... If I did something...” James's eyes practically plead with him.

 

“Friday, give us an audio screen,” Tony asks, waiting for the shimmering walls to come down around them. They'll distort sound waves enough that even a super soldier won't be able to make out what they're saying.

 

He takes a deep breath, cupping James' face in both of his hands.

 

“It's not what you did. It's about what Hydra did to the both of us,” Tony says firmly, brooking no arguments.

 

“I ain't stupid, Tony,” James says gruffly, his throat already rough with emotion.

 

“I know that,” Tony agrees right away.

 

“There's too many pieces of this thing that all point in the same direction. We... We _weren't_ together before Hydra captured us... There's no way that...” James struggles to speak it, motioning between their chests to indicate their bond instead.

 

“Hey, look at me,” Tony urges him, needing eye contact. “ _Neither_ of us had a choice, James. Neither one.” Tony motions a 'no' with his head emphatically, letting James feel his sadness, but more importantly his _commiseration_ through the bond.

 

James begins crying silently.

 

“I ain't so sure I want to remember hurting you...” he whispers.

 

“I know...” Tony answers shakily, “But, this is the part where I have to be a little selfish, because, I need you to. I need for us _both_ to remember, if we're going to be able to move on, if we're going to be able to move past this and just...just...”

 

“Heal,” James finishes for him, reaching up to brush the tears off Tony's face too.

 

“Yeah. That. _Healing_.” Tony nods, pushing further into James' arms. His alpha reels him in for a hug, holding Tony close while they both try to calm down a little. It's probably an exercise in futility, considering what they're about to do, but it makes both of them feel more grounded in the moment, more stable.

 

And they're going to need all the stability they can get.

 

“Just promise me one thing, James.”

 

“Anything, Tony.”

 

“Just…  Please don’t run.  Don’t run away from me, or from Greg, ok?” Tony pleads.

 

James searches Tony’s face, as if trying to gauge how serious he is.

 

“Ok, doll, I promise.”  

  
  


It only takes a few minutes for Princess Shuri to map out where the triggers are and eliminate the block on James’ memory.  

 

“If you would like, I can stimulate the neuron centers to mimic a REM cycle and release all your stored memories now,” she offers, “Or you could wait for them to come back gradually on their own, as they did with Dr. Stark.”

 

“Let’s just get this over with, your highness,” James says, bracing himself.  

 

Tony gives his hand a squeeze.  

 

James gives him a grateful, yet sad smile.

 

Tony’s fingers drum nervously on his chest while they wait.

 

James’ eyes blink a few times, then close entirely as tears start leaking out of them.  Tony holds tight to his alpha’s hand as he watches the man fall apart in front of him. In only moments, James is sobbing on the exam table, curling up on his side as tremors wrack his body.

 

“Is he ok?” Steve asks from his corner, having stayed out of it until now.

 

“The pain is not physical,” Princess Shuri says as she powers down her equipment, giving both Steve and Tony sad looks.  Tony is too focused on James to see it though. “I will give you your privacy,” she says graciously, leaving them to it.

 

Rhodey thanks her on Tony and James’ behalf, and decides to step out into the hallway with Gregory, only a word from Friday away if either of them need to hold their baby.

 

Tony crawls onto the exam table with James, even though it’s not reeally wide enough for two people.  His alpha is crying so hard that Tony isn’t sure he’s aware of what’s going on anymore, there’s nothing but regret and self-loathing and pain coming through the bond…

 

“Shh, I’ve got you,” Tony tells him, letting James cling to him.  He rubs soothingly up and down James’ back, even though it doesn’t seem to have much effect.  Finally Tony just hugs him, not knowing what else to do but just _be there_ for him…

 

Eventually a combination of Tony’s arms and Steve’s hand gripping his shoulder seems to calm him down.  

 

“How can you stand to touch me,” James whispers, voice raw and uncooperative.  

 

“The same way you can stand to touch me,” Tony says evenly.  “We were _both_ drugged, James, and what happened was no one’s fault but Hydra’s.  The jokes on them anyway, since I’m sure they didn’t know we’d be so compatible that we’d bond nearly instantly, and that _that_ would be their downfall.”  He desperately wishes there was a way to lighten the mood, but at the same time he knows they just have to work through this.

 

James is silent, just staring at nothing for a few moments before he closes his eyes again.

 

“You could go, you know.  Or, _I would_ , I mean, if you want me to.  This is your place,” James says, his eyes still full of pain when he reopens them.  Tony shakes his head, but James stops him with a hand on his cheek. “You shouldn’t feel like we have to be together, if it ain’t what you really want, or if…  Or if you’re scared of what I might do. I… I wouldn’t even fight you on Gregory,” James looks like it’s causing him physical pain to say, “God knows he’d be a hundred times better off with you than _me_.”  

 

Tony’s face does something complicated and sad, before finally settling on angry.

 

“Sit up,” he orders James, pulling on his limbs.

 

James looks confused, but he obeys, blinking a few times as he gets upright.  Tony sits up too at the same time, then slaps James across the face as soon as he’s got the room to.  

 

James’ eyes get wide.

 

“You promised me you wouldn’t run, James Buchanan Barnes.  So don’t you _dare_ .  You hear me?  Don’t you _fucking dare_ .  I’ll make Steve _sit_ on you if you even _think_ about trying it.” Tony berates him, mad and crying at the same time, looking to Steve to back him up.  

 

There’s the barest edge of tenuous trust in Tony’s eyes, but also the light of a dare too, daring Steve to betray him again, right here and right now if he’s ever going to.

 

This is his moment.  The chance he’s being given to be part of Tony and James’ lives hinges on him getting this right.  Steve puts a hand on Bucky’s shoulder, the flesh one, and squeezes gently.

 

“Buck, I know there’s a lot of things you regret in your life, but if you run from this, it’ll be one of the few things you regret that you’ll have actually chosen for yourself…” Steve tells him, hoping his point comes through.  

 

Bucky reaches up and clasps a hand over Steve’s, just holding him there while he stares at Tony.

 

“You really want me to stay?...”

 

“James,” Tony pauses, “ _Bucky_ , I fucking _love_ you, ok?  I haven’t ever been as happy, _ever_ , as during the time that I’ve spent with you.  And yeah, we’ve done everything completely ass backwards as far as relationships go, but I don’t care.  That’s Hydra’s fault anyway. Don’t take away any of their blame by taking it on yourself. Because that’s bullshit.  They’re evil and they should get full credit for that evil,” Tony says, glaring at him.

 

“Yeah, but without me-”

 

“Then it would have been someone else,” Tony interrupts him.

 

James blinks.

 

“Sure, they were probably wetting themselves over the fact that they’d managed to capture you again, but if they hadn’t, they would have just used some other super powered being to try and breed me, god knows there’s plenty of them out there now,” Tony points out.  “Maybe it would have been someone who wouldn’t have held me when I was seasick, or wouldn’t have just laughed when I couldn’t cook for shit. Maybe it would have been someone who wouldn’t have wanted to put up with the hassle of a pregnancy on the run… James, they may have forced us to fuck, but they certainly didn’t force me to fall in love with you.”

 

“I love how smart you are...” James says, his voice soft, “I love all the crazy nicknames you give Greg…  I love how you’re never afraid to fight at my side, and how you weren’t afraid to get upset at me when you found out I was goin’ hungry…  Fuck, _I love you_ , Tony.”

 

They’re both in tears again by the time he’s done.

 

“So you’ll stay?” Tony has to ask.

 

“Yeah, doll, I’ll stay as long as you’ll have me,” James says, brushing the tears out of his mate’s eyes.

 

Tony reaches up and wipes James’ away too.

 

Both of them sit there and grin stupidly at each other for a moment, basking the relief, however small it is in the scope of things.

 

“Jeez, just kiss and make up already,” Steve teases, causing them both to laugh.

 

Tony flashes him a quick, grateful smile for his help.  It’s certainly not all-is-forgiven-sunshine-and-rainbows between him and Steve, but it’s a start...  

 

It’s a start.

 

“Aye, aye, Captain.”

  
  


 

 


	14. Chapter 14

 

 

Pepper returns the next morning.  

 

There’s a small, tearful reunion followed by introductions.  Tony beams as everyone coos over Gregory, even though Happy clearly has no idea what to do with the infant and Pepper’s never been a “kid” person.  It seriously warms his heart to see them trying anyway, to see the soft looks on their faces and careful way they hold him.

 

Both of them shake hands politely with James.

 

Eh, that’s to be expected.  Tony will give them time. It’s going to take time for him and James to establish a “new normal” for themselves anyway, though they’ve  _ both  _ vowed to keep working on it through whatever obstacles may arise.  He knows James’ laid back personality and devotion to him and Gregory will win the rest of his friends over eventually.  

 

Speaking of winning people over…

 

Pepper asks him if he and James would be willing to do a press conference, to get ahead of public opinion and be able to present the picture  _ they  _ want.  An announcement that Tony’s been found and is alive will have to be made anyway…

 

“What do you think, babe?  I know the words ‘James Buchanan Barnes’ and ‘press circuit’ aren’t exactly synonymous…” Tony asks.

 

“I think it’s one of them necessary evils, if you’re asking me.  I know I won’t like us being up there all exposed, but the world needs to know you’re alive.  And also that you’re off the market,” James smiles at him. 

 

“True.  Very, very true,” Tony grins back.  Then he turns to Pepper, “Ok, we’ll have to do a run through on what kind of questions to expect ahead of time.  Nothing ruins a well planned press conference like one of it’s stars not being prepared to field questions about their sex life.”

 

“People may be more brazen about it now, but even in my day they gossiped about celebrities’ sex lives,” James tells them.  

 

“Just because someone asks does not mean you actually  _ tell  _ them anything though,” Pepper warns.

 

“Of course not,” James nods, looking 100% innocent and in agreement.

 

Tony laughs, like, straight up starts  _ giggling  _ right then and there, because wow, this is going to be an amazing press conference.  Definitely in the top three of press conferences he’s ever given, judging by the grin James gives him.

 

“God, I can’t wait.  Let’s get the ball rolling, Pep, the sooner the better.”

  
  
  
  


That’s how Tony and James end up getting ready to go in front of a sea of cameras and microphones the very next day.  The news stations invited are all happy to drop their plans last minute for Stark Industries, because either way this press conference is going to be a huge deal.  They know Pepper Potts, and she wouldn’t go to all this fuss for a progress report. Everyone here is expecting to find out that they either found Tony, or found Tony’s body…

 

“Let me start off by thanking you all for coming on such short notice,” Pepper begins.  “I called this conference to inform you that on June 30th, the Avengers engaged in a retrieval action in northern Czechia.  This was done in full cooperation with the Czechian authorities. They extracted Anthony Edward Stark and James Buchanan Barnes from an assault by a Hydra cell in the area.  There were no civilian casual-”

 

“Is he alive?!” a reporter yells out from the middle of the room, interrupting Pepper.

 

Normally, she doesn’t put up with that kind of disrespect, wouldn’t even  _ invite  _ someone she thought would be unruly...  But the way the reporter’s voice cracks with emotion as they shout makes Pepper’s heart give a little lurch.  She forgets sometimes, how many people look up to Tony, to Ironman, how many believe in his vision and are  _ grateful  _ for his protection.  

 

So instead of reprimanding the reporter, Pepper smiles.

 

Anticipation keeps the crowd so quiet that you could hear a pin drop in the conference room.

 

Pepper just smiles, wide and genuine, letting that do the talking for her.

 

The side door that Tony has been waiting behind opens, just like she figured it would.  She knows he’s been watching, waiting for his cue, and she knows without a doubt that he’ll take the unexpected chance for a dramatic entrance.  

 

As soon as he steps into the room, the reporters go wild.  

 

Tony walks up to the podium to the roar of cheering and clapping.  There’s a huge grin on his face, probably the most genuine one he’s ever given the press.  Several of the cameramen are in tears. 

 

Tony waits at the podium for a few seconds before speaking, basking in a rare moment of outright media approval.  

 

“Someday,” he begins, having to repeat himself as people finally quiet down, “Someday, villians will learn that capturing me is like,  _ the worst _ idea they could ever have,” he grins.  

 

There’s laughter from the veteran newscasters in the crowd.

 

“Mr. Stark,” one of them raises his hand.

 

Holding up a hand to pause the situation, Tony speaks into the mic again.  “Let me give you guys the rundown before we do questions. I’m sure I’ll answer a lot of the ones you have right now, and that will make the ones you come up with later all that more interesting,” Tony winks.

 

There’s a few chuckles, mostly some murmuring, as Tony launches into the story.  They already agreed that it would be best if he was the only one on stage for this part.  “As you know, I disappeared completely over a year ago. It turns out, I was captured by Hydra and held prisoner in their Venezuela base.  I say it that way because I wasn’t sure what the heck was going on either, since Hydra had erased my mind.”

 

An almost palpable gasp comes out of the crowd of trained professionals.

 

“James Buchanan Barnes was also being held prisoner at the same base, and was being subjected to the same treatment I was.  The two of us managed to escape together sometime in late July of last year. Since neither of us remembered who we were, our main focus was on staying ahead of Hydra and making it out of a country undergoing a violent revolution.”

 

He lets that sink in for just long enough that people can appreciate the gravity of it, but without giving them time to start asking questions again.

 

“We eventually made our way to Europe, where we bounced around a few different locations while looking for somewhere safe.  Eventually we ended up in Czechia, where we were attacked by a large force of Hydra agents. Thankfully, the Avengers had a bead on us as well at that point, and lent a hand in extracting us.  The only thing I’m going to say about the Hydra procedure to wipe our minds is that it was already starting to fail at that point. After returning stateside, I eventually regained my memory in entirety.  Princess Shuri of Wakanda helped Sergeant Barnes to regain his. Ms. Potts and my personal AI, Friday, as well as Stark Industries, have all confirmed my identity beyond a shadow of a doubt. And as the one and only Tony Stark, I would like to now introduce to you James Buchanan Barnes, my mate.”

 

The side door opens again as the reporters are still processing the words that just came out of Tony’s mouth.  

 

They don’t even have time for that to compute before their brains are assaulted with another shock, which is the baby shaped bundle in Sergeant Barnes’ arms.  He strolls across the stage confidently, handing the baby over to Tony with a kiss as soon as he gets to the podium.

 

“Hi.  I’m James ‘Bucky’ Barnes.  Any questions?” he asks blandly, as if Tony didn’t just turn the entire superhero, celebrity, and high powered corporate omega communities on their heads.  

 

The questions start  _ flying _ , whose baby is that, what is his name, when was he born, etc., etc., until the fact that Tony and James had been captured is little more than a footnote to the fact that the world’s most eligible omega is not only alive, but now taken  _ and  _ is a mother.  

 

Tony can already see the headlines in his head, announcing, “NEW STARK HEIR” as soon as this is over.  Hell, maybe even  _ before  _ this is over…

 

The same reporter from before raises his hand.

 

Tony finally calls on him.

 

“Will you be changing your last name, now that you’re mated?” he asks, probably hoping to stir up the conservative circles.

 

James leans forward to make sure the microphone can pick up their answer as he says, “Yes,” and then he pauses for dramatic effect, like a pro, “I will be.”

  
  
  
  
  


Hours later, Tony, James, Greg, and Steve are on the Stark Tower balcony, looking down at the celebrating of Ironman’s return that is going on in the streets.  The city blocks for as far as they can see are lined with people, some spilling over and shutting down the roadways themselves. 

 

The mayor made an unfortunate comment about disruptions to the city, which went something along the lines of “If we celebrated every time Tony Stark didn’t die, we’d never get any work done,” which was taken badly by the people, needless to say.  Tony himself had to make a quick,  _ totally  _ authorized public broadcast to tell people to please, please not destroy things in his name, he worked damn hard to protect this city, and he hates to see it get trashed.

 

Things went back to just celebrating after that, but if Steve ever needed a reminder of who it was New York loved most, that was it.

 

“So, I’m thinking, maybe a victory lap or two, you know, just to give the people what they want, then we can do dinner from like, Giovanni’s or something,” Tony says casually, giving James a glance out of the corner of his eye.  

 

“Sure, sounds good, doll,” James says, leaning in for a quick kiss.  

 

Tony beams at him, placing a kiss on Gregory’s forehead before calling the suit.  The baby gives a delighted squeal as Tony plays peek-a-boo with the helmet for a minute.  Finally, after scenting Greg-arious one last time, Tony takes to the air, flying over the crowds and waving to fans.

 

James tracks the suit’s progress for a little while, but once Tony’s out of his line of sight he goes and sits down with Greg.  The two of them teach Steve how to properly change a diaper, just in case it ever becomes relevant. Eventually Steve takes off back to his own place, leaving James and Greg watching clouds on their own.

 

A little while later, James places a  _ large  _ order of all their favorites for dinner, figuring Tony should be back around the time it’s delivered.  

 

When Tony lands on the balcony again, the sun is just starting to set, dipping the clouds in a pink tinted hue.  He lifts the faceplate with a grin, and is just about to declare his “mission” a success, when a tiny voice excitedly gurgles, “Ma!”  

 

Both James and Tony stare down at Greg in disbelief, knowing three months is  _ awfully  _ young to actually be speaking...  

 

“Did you hear-”

 

“Do you think that was-” 

 

They both say at once.

 

Eyes wide, they look down at Greg again as Tony steps out of the suit, thinking it must have been a coincidence.

 

“Can…  Can you say ‘Ma’?” Tony asks, feeling a touch silly, but yet hesitantly hopeful as well.  He doesn’t remember there being this much anticipation in his chest even when he was first figuring out DUM-E’s coding…  Although, he  _ was  _ drunk at that time so that may not be the best comparison…

 

“Ma ma ma ma!” Greg says emphatically after a few seconds, waving his little arms, “Ma!”

 

Tony’s eyes start watering as James pulls him in close for a hug, with Gregory held securely between them.

 

“Yeah, that’s your Ma,” James confirms, kissing Tony’s hair, “That’s your Ma.”

  
  
  


The End

  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think both the super soldier serum and extremis do get passed down to Gregory, maybe not full force, but enough that it becomes evident as he grows that he’s tougher and heals quicker than normal (It's probably how he survived the explosion unscathed too). Maybe he runs a low fever when he’s healing from something, but without the light show… Plus obviously he is a genius too, being Tony’s son. I imagine Hydra wanted to breed Tony and James specifically to get a super smart super soldier that they could indoctrinate from birth to become the new icon/leader of Hydra… The FOOLS.

**Author's Note:**

> Come yell with me about Infinity War on tumblr, I'm phlintandsteel there same as here.


End file.
